lOOS NESTS Ah'D EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Mr. Douglas Caddeu, who kiudly I'orwaided me, in 1886; a fine clutch 

 of sevtn eggs of the Spotted Emu from the Muichisou district, says the 

 birds visually lay there about iVlay and June ; while in the south-west, 

 IVii-. A. J. Bussell (WallchlT) writes : — " Emus lay according to the season, 

 but never earlier than the middle of June, or later than middle of 

 August." 



In 1889, when I visited Western AusU'alia, yoimg Emus about a 

 week old were observed on the last day of October by an employe of 

 Wallcliff. In that case the eggs would have been laid towards the end 

 of August. 



764. — Droileus ater, VieUlot. 

 (EXTINCT). 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol xxvii., p. 5SS. 

 Geugraphical Distribution. — Kaugaioo Island (South Australia). 



Observations. — ^It may, perhaps, appear to be folly to include an ex 

 tinct bii'd in this work. But I do so as a timely warning to my fellow 

 counti-ymen. It is sad to contemplate that many of oiu' bu'ds, more 

 especially such feathered giants as the Emus and the Cassowary, may 

 be swept oil the face of the eai-tli by the ever-advancing tide of civiliza- 

 tion, and perhaps even sooner than we anticipate, be numbered with the 

 extinct Moas of New Zealand, and the more recently defimct Emus of 

 Tasmania and Kangaroo Island. Provincial Parliaments may ,pass enact- 

 ments for the proper protection of birds and animals, but it surely rests 

 with the people to see that tliese laws are strictly obsei-ved. 



When the French expedition mider Baudni explored Kajigaroo Island 

 in 1803, Peron the naturalist captured tlu*ee Emus ahve and took tliem 

 to Paris. A pair was sent to the residence of the Empi'ess Josephine, 

 and the remaining one to the Jardiu des Plantes. In 1822, two of the 

 birds died. One was stuffed and the other moiuited as a skeleton, while 

 the third specimen was apparently lost. However it has been recently 

 re-discovered in a snigular manner. 



Professor H. H. GigUoli, of the R. Zoological Museimi, Florence, 

 wrote an interesting letter in. " Natui-e," 31st May last, on "A third 

 Specimen of the Extinct Bromceus ater," and concludes thus : — " For 

 some years past my attention had been drawn to a small skeleton of a 

 Ratitse in the old didactic collection of the 11. Zoological Museum luider 

 my direction. It was labelled ' Casoju-is,' but was in many ways diilerent 

 from a Cassowaiy ; but other work kept me from the proposed closer 

 investigation, and it was only quite recently, during a visit of the Hon 

 W;dter Rothschild, on his telling me that he was working out the 

 Cassowaries, that I remembered tlie enigmatical skeleton. A better 

 inspection showed us that it is, without tlie least doubt, a specimen of 

 tho lost Drommus ater. 1 afterwards ascort-ained tliat- it had been first 

 catalogued in this Mu.srvim in 1833 ; that most of the bones bore written 



