As in some measure connecting the class of quadrupeds with that of the feathered race, the Ostrich is, perhaps, the bird which is entitled to claim our attention first. In external appearance it bears some resemblance to the camel; its internal conformation allies it to quadrupeds; it grazes with animals; and its plumage gives the idea rather of hair than of feathers.

The Ostrich is generally seven and sometimes nine feet high, from the top of the head to the ground, but from the back it is only four; so that the head and neck are above three feet long. From the top of the head to the rump, when the neck is stretched out in a right line, the length is six feet, and that of the tail about

a foot more. One of the wings, when stretched out, is about three feet; and at the end of each wing there is a kind of spur, almost like the quill of the porcupine. The plumage is generally black and white; the upper part of the head and neck are covered with fine white hair, and in some places there are small tufts of it, which grow from a single shaft, about the thickness of a pin. The neck of this animal, which is of a livid flesh colour, seems to be more slender in proportion than that of other birds, from its not being furnished with feathers: the head and bill somewhat resemble those of a duck; and the external form of the eye is like that of a man's, the upper eyelids being adorned with lashes which are longer than those on the lid below. The thighs are large, fleshy, and wrinkled in the manner of a net; the legs are covered before with large scales; the foot is cloven, and has two toes of unequal sizes.

These animals seem formed to live among the sandy and arid deserts of the torrid zone; and in those regions they are seen in large flocks, which, to the distant spectator, appear like a regiment of cavalry, and have often alarmed a whole caravan. There is no spot, however steril, but what is capable of supplying them with provision, as they are of all creatures the most voracious, and possess surprising powers of digestion. Hence they will devour leather, hair, stones, or any thing that is given to them, and those substances which the coats of the stomach cannot soften, are excluded in the form in which they were swallowed. In Southern Africa they are exceedingly injurious to the farmers; as they will destroy a field of wheat so effectually as not to leave a single ear behind; and this operation they perform without danger to themselves, as they are so vigilant, and so swift, that it is almost impossible to get a shot at them. If at all aided by the wind, the Ostrich flaps its wings, and it then moves so rapidly that the fleetest horse cannot overtake it.

The Ostrich is a polygamous bird; one male having two or three, and sometimes five females. It is a common, but an erroneous idea, that the female abandons her eggs, leaving to the heat of the climate the care of hatching them. The warmth of the atmosphere does, indeed, render a very close attention to them unnecessary during the day; but she never deserts them, and during night she carefully performs the task of incubation; even the male takes his turn of sitting upon them.

The Ostrich may be tamed without difficulty, and becomes very tractable and familiar with those with whom it is acquainted.

THE TOUYOU.

THIS bird, which is chiefly found in Guiana, along the banks of the Orinoco, in the inland provinces of Chili and Brazil, and on the vast forests that border the mouth of the Plata, is second only to the ostrich in magnitude, and is the largest bird of the new continent. Buffon is of opinion that it ought not to be classed with the ostrich tribe. It is usually about six feet high, from its head to the ground. The head is small, the neck long, the body round, and the wings short, and entirely unfit for flying. Its thighs are remarkably thick; its legs are three feet long, and it differs from the ostrich in having an additional toe on each foot. It has no tail, but is covered from the back with long feathers, which fall backward and cover the rump. It moves very swiftly; but in its course it uses a very odd kind of action, lifting up one wing, which it keeps elevated for a time, till letting it drop, it raises the other. In this motion it seems to be assisted by a kind of tubercle behind, like a heel, upon which, on plain ground, it treads very securely. The fleetest hounds are frequently thrown out in pursuing

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it and we are told of one, which on being surrounded by the hunters, darted among the dogs with such irresistible fury, that they immediately gave way, and thus enabled it to escape in safety. During incubation, the Touyou is said to make a false nest, at some distance from the true one, in which two eggs are laid. These eggs the old one breaks, and by thus attracting a number of flies, beetles, &c. procures the means of sustenance for the young. When first hatched, the young are so familiar that they will follow strangers; but, as they grow older, they become cunning and distrustful. The flesh, especially before it is hardened by age, is good to be eaten.

THE Cassowary is a native of South Eastern Asia, the islands of the Indian Archipelago, and a part of the African coast. A large species is also found in New Holland. In its appearance it is singular. Its body is extremely heavy, and its wings are so short that it

cannot rise from the ground. Each wing is composed of five very strong quills, which are, in fact, so many spines, serving as defensive weapons. On the top of the head is a blackish brown protuberance of bone, covered with horn, forming a kind of helmet. It is with reference to its spines and crest, that the Cassowary has been said to have the head of a warrior, and the weapons of the porcupine. The beak, which is five inches long, is of an exceedingly hard substance, and somewhat curved. The skin of the head and neck is naked, of a fine blue colour above, and red below, and on each side of the front of the neck hangs a long light blue caruncle or wattle, bearing some analogy to the gills of a cock. The globe of the eye is of a bright yellow, and, being an inch and a half in diameter, it has a formidable expression, which has occasioned it to be compared to the eye of a lion. The Cassowary is about five feet and a half long, from the point of the bill to the extremity of the claws; the head and neck together are eighteen inches; the legs, which are remarkably stout, are two feet and a half; and the largest toe, including the claw, is five inches long. The feathers are generally double, having two long shafts issuing from a short one which is fixed in the skin. The beards at the end of the large feathers are perfectly black, under which there is a kind of down, of a tawny colour. At a distance the feathers have the appearance of hair.

In their wild state, these birds lay, at each time, three or four greenish or grayish coloured eggs, beautifully spotted with grass green, and having white marks towards the smaller end. In general, the female covers them with sand, and leaves the hatching of them to the solar heat. But, under different circumstances, she performs the office of incubation like other birds.

In the coarseness of its taste the Cassowary resembles the ostrich. It will swallow almost any thing