CÄSHAHIÜS PICHDOKUS, Sclater.
J. Govld. Jb W.HoTt, djtb tb lüht H&bartmp.
CASUARIUS PICTICOLLIS, Sclater.
Painted-throated Cassowary.
Casuarius picticollis, Sclat. P. Z. S. 1875, p. 85, pl. xviii., et List Vert. Anim. Z. S. L. ed. vi. p. 423.
U nless the heads o f freshly killed birds are preserved in spirits or living specimens can be resorted to,
it is almost impossible for the ornithologist to determine the various species o f Cassowary, particularly of
th at section known hy the trivial name of Mooruk. In their youth all are o f a uniform brown in their plumage,
while the partly denuded neck is varied with different tints of yellow and green, which in afterlife give
place to blue, verditer green, orange, and chestnut red, whilst the brown feathers o f the body are succeeded
by black ones, which ever after remain permanent. The period of this succession o f changes from youth to
maturity is several years. I t was on the 27th o f May 1874 that an immature specimen o f this very distinct
Cassowary was received a t the Gardens o f the Zoological Society, in which it lived until the 16th o f October
1876. Within three hours o f the death o f this fine bird, through the kindness o f the Secretary, I received its
body a t my house, and was able, through the assistance of M r. H a rt, to take the accompanying illustration,
which could not have been prepared in the way it is had not immediate attention been given to it. Mr.
Sclater has also had drawings taken in an intermediate state, one o f which was published, along with descriptions,
in the ‘ Proceedings’ as above quoted. “ On the 27 th o f May last year,” says Mr. Sclater, “ we
purchased o f M r. Broughton o f the ‘ Paramatta,’ who seldom returns from Sydney without bringing some
welcome addition to our collection, a not quite adult Cassowary, which, as I am informed, had been brought
to Sydney in the month o f April, 1873, by Mr. Godfrey Goodman, Medical Officer of H.M.S. ‘Basilisk,
and had lived some eight o r nine months in the Botanic Gardens there. This Cassowary was entered in
the register as a Mooruk ; and not being a t the time aware o f its history, I did not pay special attention to
it. La ter in the summer, having become aware o f its origin, I made a careful examination o f the specimen
in company with the Superintendent, and at once decided th at it was not a Mooruk ( Casuarius bennetti),
although closely allied to th at species in form and structure. It, in fact, more nearly resembles Westerman’s
Cassowary (C. westermanni) , but is very differently coloured in the naked parts o f the throat.”
I t may be said th at the Cassowaries all differ in the form o f the helmet, while those which have wattles
differ in the length and situation o f these appendages, and that not only the primitive but the complementary
colours are found in the various species. But though these characters alter during adolescence, they
remain permanent when the birds have attained the age o f maturity; and I may state th at both sexes
a re similarly adorned— if there be any difference, the females, according to my experience, being the
largest in size and richest in colour. Such, then, is all the information I am a t present able to render
respecting the history o f this interesting addition to the family o f the Cassowaries.
C. picticollis may a t once be distinguished by attending to the colouring o f the neck—the naked skin o f the
hinder portion being blue, whilst in C. westermanni it is orange.
This bird, as regards size, is a trifle smaller than C. westermanni ; the legs are light brown or a sickly
bluish green, and very slender when compared with the other allied species. Length o f tarsi 11 inches,
middle toe 6è, inner nail very long. Whole plumage o f the adult jet-black ; feathers o f the shoulders and
upper p a rt o f the back very stiff, round and shiny.
The sex o f the individual from which my drawings were taken was marked male in Prof. Garrod’s (o u r
prosector’s) journal.
Habitat. Discovery Bay, S.E. coast o f New Guinea.