39s DKOMArllI.E. 



and slowly slid down, and to his astonishment and deliL;ht he almost jumped on top of a 

 Cassowary's nest, containing,' four e,£;gs. The nest was about the sixe the bird could conveniently 

 cover, perfectly Hat, consisting of pieces of blady-f^rass and dried fern fronds, in all little more 

 than half an inch in thickness. The eg,u,s, which he blew on the spot, were quite fresh. 



Three of the above set of four etjgs Mr. Robinson brought with him to the Australian 

 Museum, for the purpose of my taking a description of them. They are the finest specimens I 

 have seen, and are ellipses in form, a beautiful light-green, and measure respectively ; — Length 

 (A) 5'35 X 3-71 inches; (B) 5-22 x 3-7 inches ; (0)5-23 x 3'58 inches. 



Semi-adult birds have tlie casque on the head smaller, the neck more covered with short 

 black feathers, and the wattles very much smaller, all the body feathers black, except those on 

 the lower hinder half, which are dark brown. 



July and the three following months constitute the usual breeding season, but Mr. J. A. 

 Boyd records a Cassowary being shot in the Herbert Kiver District on the 7th June, 1S96, 

 accompanied by two small young ones. 



Family DROMACID.^. 

 Dromaeus novse-hollandiae. 



EMU. 

 C'asnarius novti'-lioJlaitdia!, Lath., hid. Orn., II., p. 66.5 (1789). 



Dromaius iwv(i'-hoUaHdi(f, Gould, JJds. Austr., fol. Vol. VF., pi. 1 (184S); id.^ Handhk. Bds. 

 Austr., Vol, II., p. 200 (186.5). 



Dronunus nov<i liolland'iii.j^sXyAd., Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. XXVII., p. .580(189.5); Sharpe, 

 Hand-1, Bds., Vol. I., p. 2 (1899). 



Adult m.\lk. — Uftieral colour aborn broivn or yreyuh-hroivii, tlie fmifliers oil the hinder portion 

 of the hddy r<'ry loitij iinlli the alaif/s and ends black: those on, tlie sides anil under parts of tlie body 

 dull grey, with the tips and shafts black ; feathers of the head and neck black, very short, hairdike 

 and sparinyly distribnteil, revealing the bine skin of the head and throat ; bill blackish-brown ; legs 

 anil feet blackisli. ; iris bron-n to ha~el. Total length in /he Jlesh 77 iiiches, bill ,i-7'i, tarsus IJf. 



Adult fkmalk. — Sintilnr in plninage to tlie male. 



Distribution. — North-western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South Australia, Central .Australia, Western Australia. 



TpS) AST, but not least, is the Emu, for next to the Ostrich it is one of the largest and heaviest 

 I V of living birds. Its wings are merely rudimentary and the bird is incapable of flight; 

 tliis deficiency, however, is compensated for by its exceeding swiftness of foot, and by its being an 

 expert and strong swimmer. f£ach of its feathers appears to be double, the after-shaft being as 

 long as the main-shaft. It is remarkable in possessing an aperture about two inches and a half 

 long in front of the windpipe, with which is connected a dilatable tracheal sac. Several conjectures 

 have been made as to the use to which this aperture and tracheal pouch are put ; possibly they 

 may be the means, or have something to do with the curious drumming notes of this species. 

 According to the late Dr. James Murie, Prosector to the Zoological Society of London — who 

 fully described and figured this peculiar formation in 1S67, from three birds which from time to 



