DIVISIONS OF BIRDS. 295 
and are furnished with strong blunt claws or nails. The 
feathers present the remarkable peculiarity that the barbs, 
instead of being connected by means of the barbules, are discon- 
nected and separate from‘one another, thus coming to resemble 
hairs in appearance. 
Fig. 158.—Cursores. A, Foot of the Ostrich; B, Breastbone (sternum) 
' of the Emeu. 
The African Ostrich (Struthio camelius), which is one of the 
best-known members of this order, inhabits the desert plains of 
Africa and Arabia, and is the largest of living birds, attaining 
a height of from six to eight feet. The head and neck are 
nearly naked, and the quill-feathers of the wings and tail have 
their barbs wholly separate, constituting the Ostrich-plumes of 
commerce. The legs are extremely strong, and the feet have 
only two toes each. The Ostriches run with extraordinary 
speed, and can outstrip the fastest horse, They are polygamous, 
each male having several females, and they keep together in 
larger or smaller flocks. The American Ostriches or Rheas 
are much smaller than the African Ostrich, and have the head 
feathered, whilst the feet are furnished with three toes each. 
They inhabit the great plains of tropical America, and are 
polygamous. The Emeu (Dromazus) is exclusively confined to 
New Holland. In size it nearly equals the African Ostrich, 
standing from five to seven feet in height, and it is not uncom- 
monly kept as a domestic pet. The Cassowary (Casuarius) 
inhabits the Moluccan Islands and New Guinea, and was first 
brought alive to Europe by the Dutch. It stands about five 
feet in height, and possesses a singular horny crest upon the 
head. The last of the living Cursorial birds is the curious bird, 
the Apteryx of New Zealand. In this remarkable bird (fig. 1 59) 
the beak is extremely long and slender, and the nostrils are 
