ANATOMY OF BIRDS
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS
CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS
LIZARD-TAILED BIRD
AMERICAN TOOTHED-BIRDS
THE OSTRICHES
THE RHEAS
EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
THE TINAMOUS
THE KIWIS
THE PENGUINS
LOONS AND GREBES
ALBATROSSES & PETRELS
STORK-LIKE BIRDS
GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS
FALCON-LIKE BIRDS
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
CRANE-LIKE BIRDS
PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Birds and Birding's Guide to:
Watching THE EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
Common or Ceram Cassowary
It will not be possible in the space at command to give descriptions of all the species, nor is this perhaps desirable, but I venture to attempt a pen picture of one or two. The oldest known species is the Common or Ceram Cassowary (C. casuarius), a specimen of which was brought alive to Amsterdam in 1597. It is a species of moderate size, with a large, though not high, sloping casque of a dark brownish horn color.
The head and occiput are Nile-blue, darker in the upper part of the hind neck, the lower two thirds of which is scarlet, while the chin, throat, and fore neck are dark blue.
The wattles are large, lappet-shaped, much roughened, and of a deep pink color. The naked lower sides of the neck are bluish purple in front and bright scarlet behind.
The plumage is of course black throughout. This species is reported to be rather abundant in the interior of Ceram, but it is extremely shy and difficult to approach, so much so, indeed, that no European naturalist appears to have seen it in the wild state. The eggs are said to be excellent eating.
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