Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3

by Alfred Edmund Brehm

THE HELMETED CASSOWARY.

The HELMETED CASSOWARY (Casuarius galeatus) is principally black, the face greenish blue, and the back of the head grey; the front of the neck is violet, its sides blue, and its hinder portion bright red. The eye is reddish brown, the beak black, and the foot greyish yellow. The plumage of the young has a brownish tinge; the habitat of this species appears to be confined to the forests on the island of Ceram, where it was discovered by the Dutch traveller, Forster. We are almost entirely ignorant of the habits of these strange birds in their native wilds.

THE MOORUK.

The MOORUK (Casuarius Bennettii). The Mooruk is considerably smaller and shorter than the Cassowary, and has much thicker legs. The helmet rises high at the base and then branches out into two overhanging lobes, the horny part which unites them being lowest in the centre. The back part of this elevated crest is flat, and rises rather obliquely from the head near the occiput. A specimen sent to England by Dr. Bennett, when it first arrived, was rufous mixed with black on the back and under part of the body, and raven-black about the neck and breast; the loose wavy skin of the neck was beautifully coloured with iridescent tints of blueish purple, pink, and an occasional shade of green; and the feet and legs were of a pale ash-colour. It afterwards became generally darker, the bare skin of the fore part of the neck of a more uniform smalt-blue, and the legs somewhat darker in colour. The large strong feet and legs exhibit a remarkable peculiarity in the extremity of the claw of the inner toe, it being nearly three times as large as the other claws. The horny plate on the top of the head resembles mother-of-pearl darkened with blacklead. The form of the bill differs considerably from that of the Emu (Dromæus Novæ-Hollandiæ), being longer and more curved, with a black and leathery cere. Behind the horny head-plate rises a small tuft of black, hair-like feathers which are continued in greater or less number over most parts of the neck.

The Mooruk, according to Gould, lives exclusively in the gullies and humid parts of dense forests, and feeds upon the roots of ferns and plants peculiar to such situations. The first specimen ever seen in Europe was purchased by Dr. George Bennett, so well known from his contributions to science, and sent by him to the Zoological Society of London. The bird was obtained at a native village lying at the foot of two hills, called by navigators the "Mother and Daughter," and situated on that part of the coast of New Britain lying between Cape Palliser and Cape Stephen. In 1858 Dr. Bennett purchased two other specimens brought to Sydney by Captain Devlin, who bought them in New Britain and had had them in his possession for eight months. According to the statement of that gentleman, the natives of that part capture them when very young and rear them by hand. The adults it is impossible to make prisoners, as they are remarkably swift and possess great strength in the legs; on the least alarm they at once dart into thick brushwood, where no human being could follow them, and disappear like magic. We can do no better than give our readers the benefit of Bennett's own graphic and circumstantial account of this Cassowary, which he alone has been at the trouble of training and closely observing:—"My birds," says that naturalist, "when placed in the yard walked about as tame as Turkeys. They approached any one who came into the yard, pecking the hand as if desirous of being fed, and were very docile. They began by pecking at a bone, probably not having tasted any meat for some time, and would not while engaged upon it touch some boiled potatoes which were thrown to them; indeed, we found afterwards that they fed better out of a dish than from the ground—no doubt having been early accustomed to be fed in that manner. They were as familiar as if born and bred among us for years, and did not require time to reconcile them to their new situation, but became sociable and quite at home at once. We found them next day rather too tame, or like spoilt pets, too often in the way. One or both of them would walk into the kitchen, and while one was dodging under the tables and chairs, the other would leap upon the table, keeping the cook in a state of excitement; or they would be heard chirping in the hall, or walk into the library in search of food or information, or walk upstairs, and then be quickly seen descending again, making their peculiar chirping, whistling noise; not a door could be left open but in they walked, familiar with all. They kept the servants constantly on the alert; if one of them went to open a door, on turning round she found a Mooruk behind her, for they seldom went together, but generally wandered apart from each other; if any attempt were made to turn them out by force, they would dart rapidly round the room, dodging about under the tables, chairs, and sofas, and then end by squatting down under a sofa or in a corner, so that it was impossible to remove the bird except by carrying it away; on attempting this, the long, powerful muscular legs would begin kicking and struggling and soon get released, when it would politely walk out of its own accord. I found the best method was to entice them out as if you had something eatable in your hand, when they would follow the direction in which you wished to lead them. The house-maid attempting to turn the bird out of one of the rooms, it gave her a kick and tore her dress. They walked into the stable among the horses, poking their bills into the manger. When writing in my study, a chirping whistling noise is heard. The door, which is ajar, is pushed open, and in walk the Mooruks, who quietly pace round the room inspecting everything, and then as peaceably go out again. If any attempt is made to turn them out, they leap, dart about, and exhibit a wonderful rapidity of movement, which no one would suppose possible from their quiet gait and manner at other times. Even in the very tame state of these birds, I have seen sufficient of them to know that, if they were loose in a wood it would be impossible to catch them, and almost as difficult to shoot them. One day, when apparently frightened at something that occurred, I saw one of them scour round the yard at a swift pace, and speedily disappear under the archway so rapidly that the eye could hardly follow it, upsetting in its progress all the poultry that could not get out of the way. The lower half of the stable door, about four feet high, was kept shut to prevent them going in, but this proved no obstacle, as it was easily leaped over. They never appeared to take any notice of, or to be frightened at the Jabiru, or Gigantic Crane, which was in the same yard, although that sedate, stately bird was not pleased at their intrusion. Having had these birds for a considerable time in my possession," continues Dr. Bennett, "I had ample opportunity of hearing all their cries. I never heard them utter a sound like 'Mooruk,' and am inclined to consider that the name signifies in the native language 'swift,' resembling closely the Malay term 'amuck,' or mad career, and the extraordinarily rapid motions of these birds rather confirm my idea on this subject.

HELMETED CASSOWARY (Casuarius galeatus).

"The chirping sounds of the Mooruk are very peculiar, being modulated according to the urgency of their wants and desires. Sometimes these notes are varied, as if speaking—at one time they are mild, at another very vehement, then rising to a higher and more rapid chirp as if scolding, afterwards becoming plaintive, as if beseeching for something; again loud and rapid, as if impatient at delay; indeed, at a little distance, this modulation of the chirping notes seems as if the birds were holding a conversation, and has a very singular effect. One morning I observed the female Mooruk rolling in the yard upon its back with the feet uppermost, when it suddenly started up, leaping and racing round the enclosure, chirping all the while, kicking the trees and posts, elongating and drawing itself up to its greatest height, then running round the trees and often coming with such violence against them, and kicking so high with both its legs at the same time as to tumble on its back, so that I feared it was seriously hurt, but it rose again and ran about, not having received the least injury. She thus continued kicking and running, all the while keeping in an erect position, until she was apparently exhausted, and then, with open bill and panting, very quietly resumed her tranquil walk about the yard, picking about as usual, as if nothing had happened to disturb her former tranquillity. On the afternoon of the same day the male bird had one of these running and kicking freaks, racing about the yard and attacking any person or fowl who ran away from him; he had a chase after a consequential Bantam Cock, and endeavoured to trample the poor thing under-foot, much to the dismay and horror of this important bird; but I remarked that although he rushed and kicked violently against the trees and had many falls, yet he had a method in his actions—judging from the care he took not to come in contact with the Jabiru, of whom he appeared to entertain a very wholesome dread. Whether he had a natural respect for the bird on account of his serious deportment, or whether it was the formidable, sword-like beak he dreaded, I know not, but when in his most rapid and mad career he approached the Jabiru, he always contrived to avoid him. He seemed to select the fowls, and dispersed them in all directions over the yard. All these wild actions would continue for about half an hour, when he would commence pecking about, and remain as quiet as before.

"One morning when the male bird was in one of these racing humours, some strange fowls wandered into the yard; he immediately attacked them, and did not cease until he had fairly kicked them out, trying also to trample them under foot, and uttering at the same time a peculiar, blowing, snorting, and hissing sound, which I observe is only expressed when he is serious in his attacks. It is curious that he appeared to know our fowls; for although he chased them, he never tried to drive them out of the yard, which he invariably did with the strange poultry. The Bantam Cock was on the top of the wall, out of reach, viewing the kicking scene below among his hens with the greatest astonishment. The Bantam and his hens were not our property, but were tenants next door, and the Mooruk therefore considered himself justified in turning them out. It is common, however, at other times to see our poultry and the Mooruks on the most amiable terms, scraping together, and feeding on the dunghill and in the yard." So extraordinary is the voracity of these strange birds, that no object, however impossible of digestion, comes amiss to them. Dr. Bennett's account of the annoyance his captives gave by indulging this propensity is too amusing to be curtailed.