NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 1065 



luu-y fowl's egg, or so glutinous as a Mutton Bird's (Petrel) or other 

 sea-fowl's. To boil ;ui Emu's egg, I believe, taltes about twenty niiuutts. 



Tiie aborigines cook Emus' eggs by boring _ a sm;ill hole at one end, 

 and violently shaking the contents into the hot ashes of their camp 

 lii-e ; every few minutes the shaking is renewed, while the whole mess 

 is turned rejx'atedly until properly cooked. Only aborigines appreciate 

 Emu's flesh, although sometimes white men use the oil. The aborigines 

 stalk and spear the birds by stealth, but like better to wait at a water-hole 

 where birds come to drink. When the Emu is on liis hunkers at the 

 water's brink, the dusky hunter in ambush drops a tomahawk or spear 

 upon the unsuspecting bird. In parts of Central Australia the natives 

 taint the water with a weed of narcotic propensities, thus stupefying 

 tlu^ birds that drink. On this subject Professor \V. Baldwin Cspencer 

 remarks : " Attention is drawn to the curious use which the natives 

 make of some plants, such as pituri. In certain parts of Central 

 Austraha, as, for example, to the south of Lake Amadeus, a decoction 

 is made of the leaves of the plant, which is found growing amongst the 

 sandhills, and the Uquid is placed where the Emu can drink it, the 

 result being that the bird is stupefied, and falls an easy prey to the 

 spear of the native. " 



To show how prolific Emus were in some parts of Australia, like- 

 wise to demonstrate how flagiantly the " Game Act " is broken, during 

 the season 1894, according to a Sydney newspaper, a boundary rider in 

 Queensland sold or sent to that city 1,123 Emu eggs, which realised 

 12s. per dozen, or a total value amoimting to more than his wages for 

 t)ie year. 



With i-eference to the question whether Emus swim or not, Mr. Geo. 

 F. Ai-mitage (INIildura) thoughtfully sent the following note : " On 

 Cliristmas, 1893, I was travelling to Swan Hill from Mildui-a in the 

 steamer ' EUen,' when, roimding a bend of the river, I was astonished 

 to see, about lOG yards ahead, a small flock of five Emus just taking the 

 water (from the Victorian side). They either did not see the boat, or 

 were oblivious of danger, for they swam on in order to reach the 

 opposite bank, and although the boat dashed right into the midst of 

 them, scattering some to one side and some to the other, so that they 

 became perfectly deluged with water, they soon righted themselves, 

 and reached the shore in safety, where they rejoined their companions, 

 who apparently had previously crossed." 



I shall conclude my observations on the Emu with a pretty scene 

 I witnessed in Riverina one balmy day in September. After a tedious 

 plodding with a bugg)- and pair through flooded ligniun coimtry, we 

 emerged on a gi-assy rise where we noticed Emus gamboling — running 

 sideways, kicking, &c. Seeing they were hemmed in by water on one 

 side and by a fence on the other side we put the horses hard to their 

 collars, and were soon galloping amongst a splendid flock of twenty-eight 

 bii-ds, some remarkably large and dark. At the imminent risk of 



oui- flying vehicle colhding with tree-stumjjs and fallen logs, we enjoy a 

 meriy spin with the fleet-footed birds. How graceful is their high- 

 stepping action ' We can hear the peculiar rustling noise of the feathers 

 caused by the birds in rapid motion. When a bird puts on a spurt, or 



