The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay: With an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island (1789)Phillip, Arthur
History
The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay: With an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island (1789)
Phillip, Arthur
Natural history -- Australia -- New South Wales; New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Norfolk Island
This bird is somewhat smaller than our European species, measuring only
nine inches and a half in length. The general colour of the plumage on
the upper parts is dark-brown, mottled and crossed with obscure whitish
bars: the quills are plain brown, but five or six of the outer ones
marked with dusky white spots on the outer webs: the tail is rounded in
shape, and marked with twelve narrow bars of a dusky white, mottled with
black, as are the various whitish marks on the upper parts: the under
parts of the body are more or less white; but the fore part of the neck
and breast are crossed with numerous dusky bars: the bill is black, but
the gape and within yellow; the sides of the mouth furnished with
bristles, as in other goat-suckers; besides which, at the base of the
bill are ten or twelve erect stiff bristles, thinly barbed on their
sides, and standing perfectly upright as a crest, giving the bird a
singular appearance: the legs are weak, longer than in most of the tribe,
and of a pale yellow colour; claws brown.
NEW HOLLAND CASSOWARY. Order VI. Struthious. Genus LIX. Cassowary.
This is a species differing in many particulars from that generally
known, and is a much larger bird, standing higher on its legs, and having
the neck longer than in the common one. Total length seven feet two
inches. The bill is not greatly different from that of the common
Cassowary; but the horny appendage, or helmet on the top of the head, in
this species is totally wanting: the whole of the head and neck is also
covered with feathers, except the throat and fore part of the neck about
half way, which are not so well feathered as the rest; whereas in the
common Cassowary, the head and neck are bare and carunculated as in the
turkey.
The plumage in general consists of a mixture of brown and grey, and the
feathers are somewhat curled or bent at the ends in the natural state:
the wings are so very short as to be totally useless for flight, and
indeed, are scarcely to be distinguished from the rest of the plumage,
were it not for their standing out a little. The long spines which are
seen in the wings of the common sort, are in this not observable,--nor is
there any appearance of a tail. The legs are stout, formed much as in the
Galeated Cassowary, with the addition of their being jagged or sawed the
whole of their length at the back part.
This bird is not uncommon in New Holland, as several of them have been
seen about Botany Bay, and other parts. The one from which the plate was
taken, was shot within two miles of the settlement at Sydney Cove, and
the drawing made on the spot by Lieutenant Watts. The skin being sent
over to England in spirits, has been put into attitude, and is now the
property of Sir Joseph Banks, to whom it was presented by Lord Sydney.
Although this bird cannot fly, it runs so swiftly, that a greyhound can
scarcely overtake it. The flesh is said to be in taste not unlike beef.
WHITE GALLINULE. Order VII. Cloven-footed. Genus LXXV.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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