RHEA, Lath. Vieill. Tem. STRUTHIO, Lin.
Bill straight, short, sort, depressed at the base, a little compressed at the tip, which is obtuse and unguiculated, lower mandible much depressed, flexible, and rounded at the tip ; nostrils on the lateral surface of the bill large, longitudinal, cleft, and open ; legs long, and rather stout, with three toes before, and a callosity behind ; wings short, with the phalanges furnished with feathers, more or less long, and terminating in a spur.
1?..flmericana, Lath. Tem. american Rhea, or .imeri can Ostrich. Body white, wings and back obscurely grey. Varieties entirely white, or entirely black, also occur. This is the Nhandu of the American Indians, but not the Tort you, as alleged by Bunn. It is a native of South America, in some parts of which it is very common, as in the colder mountainous regions of Peru, in the valleys of Chili, which separate the chains of the Andes, in the Magellanic terri tories, &c. At present, it is scarce in Paraguay, but more common in the plains of Monte Video, and in the missions and wide-spreading level tract of Buenos Ayres. It never penetrates into the woods, but ranges along the open flats. It is somewhat less than the ostrich, being about six feet in height, of which the neck is two feet eight inches. The wings stretch, from tip to tip, no less than eight feet; but, on account of the webs being disunited, they are useless in flight, hanging over, and hiding the tail, which is com posed of short feathers, of equal lengths. The female is a little smaller.
These birds are observed either in pairs, or in bands, which are sometimes composed of more than thirty indi viduals. In those parts of the country where they are not hunted, they readily approach rural habitations, and seem not to be scared by people on foot; but, where they are objects of the chase, they become very shy, and fly out of one's sight with great precipitation, so that a person re quires to be well mounted in order to overtake them. When noosed, they kick with great, and even dangerous violence ; and, in the midst of the chase, they sometimes wheel suddenly about, and elude their pursuer. When tranquil, their deportment is grave and majestic ; for they hold their head and neck elevated, and their back in a rounded attitude. In pasturing, they lower their head and neck, and cut the grass on which they feed. They are ex cellent swimmers, and cross rivers and swamps with great ease. The sexes pair in July, when the males utter a sort of lowing, resembling that of the cow. The female begins
to lay about the end of August, and the first young ones appear in November. The nest is a wide, but shallow, hollow, scooped out on the bare ground, and without any attempt at concealment, but sometimes lined with straw. The eggs, which are equally large at both ends, and con tain about two pounds of liquid each, have a very smooth white surface, mottled with yellow. They afford an excel lent dish at table, and are much used in making of biscuit. The number which each female deposits is not exactly known ; for, though seventy or eighty are sometimes found in one nest, these are doubtless the produce of several hens; but a single male, according to Azara, hatches and rears the brood, and calls them together by a hissing noise. The young which are bred in houses not only become immedi ately Familiar, but are of such a prying disposition, that they explore every apartment, and look through the win dows to observe what is passing in other houses. The flesh of the young is used at table. The domesticated in dividuals will cat fruits, grain, flies, or even butchers' meat ; and, like the black ostrich, have been known to swallow indigestible matters that are offered to them. As they are natives of pretty cool climates, the breed might perhaps be introduced into Europe, where the eggs, flesh, and feathers, might furnish valuable articles of produce.
R. Hollandier, Tern. Casuarius Nova Hollandie, Lath. Dr011haill8 ater,Vieill. -Vew Holland Rhea, Emu, Cassowary, or Southern Cassowary. Dusky, with the body hairy, crown flat, the shanks serrated behind. The feathers about the bead and neck are of a hairy texture, but thinly scattered on the chin and throat. When the bird is at rest, its wings, which are very short, and cover ed with feathers like those on the rest of the body, are scarcely discernible. About six feet high, and seven feet long. A specimen, which was dissected, had no gizzard, the liver did not exceed that of the blackbird, and yet the gall-bladder was large, and distended with bile. The crop contained at least six or seven pounds of grass, flowers, and a few berries and seeds. The intestinal canal was six yards long, and the lungs were separated by a diaphragm. This singular species inhabits New Holland, where it is not un common, being frequently seen by the settlers, but it is ex ceedingly shy, and runs so swiftly, that a greyhound can scarcely overtake it. The flesh is said to taste not unlike young and tender beef.