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.
[Illustration: 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.
"The instant the Mooruk saw an egg laid by a hen, he darted upon it, and,
breaking the shell, devoured it as if he had been accustomed to eggs all
his life. A servant was unpacking a cask; as soon as the birds heard
the noise they both ran down to it, and remained there whilst it was
unpacked, squatting down on each side most intently watching the process,
and occasionally pecking at the straw and contents. When the carpenter
was in the yard making some alterations in their cage, previous to their
voyage to England, it was very amusing to see them squat down upon their
tarsi like dogs, watching the man with the greatest apparent interest in
all his actions, enjoying the hammering noise, and occasionally picking
up a nail, which was not in this instance swallowed, but again dropped.
One of them, however, bolted the oilstone, which so alarmed the man lest
the bird had committed suicide, that he hurried to me and informed me of
the circumstance, when, to his surprise, I told him if he did not take
care they would also swallow his hammer, nails, and chisels. The birds
kept close to the man until he left for dinner, resuming their position
near him as soon as he returned to work, and not leaving him till he had
finished. One morning the male Mooruk was missing, and was found in the
bedroom upstairs drinking out of the water-jug. The same bird swallowed
a bung-cork which measured one inch and a half in diameter--indeed, both
seemed to swallow anything, from butter and eggs to iron bolts, nails,
and stones. The servant was starching some muslin cuffs, and having
completed one and hung it up to dry, she was about to finish the other,
when hearing the bell ring, she squeezed up the cuff, threw it into the
starch, and attended to the summons. On her return the cuff was gone, and
she could not imagine who had taken it during her brief absence, when she
discovered that the Mooruk was the thief, its beak and head being covered
with starch. Notwithstanding this propensity to swallow every variety of
object, the digestive power of these birds is by no means strong, even
such food as unboiled grain or raw potato being rejected whole from the
stomach."
Dr. Bennett's male Mooruk measured three feet two inches to the top of
the head, and the female three feet. An egg presented by that gentleman
to Mr. Gould was five inches and a half long by three and a half broad,
the shell a pale buff, covered with pale green corrugations. Another egg,
laid in the Gardens of the Zoological Society, was pale grass-green, much
smoother, and more finely granulated than that of the Common Cassowary;
it measured six inches by nearly four, and weighed twenty-two ounces and
a half. The pair of Mooruks whose habits are above described bred in the
London Zoological Gardens. According to Dr. Sclater, the incubation lasted
seven weeks, the male alone brooding. A single young one was hatched,
which was unfortunately destroyed the same day by rats. In 1866 the
parents were more successful, and the scientific were delighted with the
sight of a young Mooruk hatched in captivity. This pretty and interesting
little creature was covered with light, yellowish brown down, and striped
with dark brown on its body and legs. The first day of its quitting the
shell it could scarcely walk, but on the second used its legs readily,
and uttered a cry somewhat resembling that of a chicken. The father,
who alone had brooded, at once undertook entire charge of his little
treasure, leading it about with the utmost care, guiding it to pick up the
food thrown down for it, and at night allowing it to nestle beneath his
plumage.