DROM^US. 405 



and flat on the ground, with their necks stretched straight out in front of them, and the heads 

 also flat on the ground ; they sat until I was within fifteen yards of them ; they then got up and 

 slowly walked away. The nests were placed amongst some Pine and Wilga trees, dead branches 

 of which were lying about on the chocolate-coloured soil. It was rather difticult to distinguish 

 the bird from its surroundings. I managed to obtain two young birds just able ti3 run. I took 

 them home and reared both, and they grew to be fine specimens, male and female. We had 

 the birds for five years, when we had to get rid of them, as the children used to come and 

 look through the fence, and the birds seeing the sparkling eyes went for them, seeiningly 

 tak'ing a great delight in pecking at anything bright and shiny. Every morning they used to 

 dance for about half an hour, both running in opposite directions to one another, balancing 

 themselves on one leg and striking out with the other, and twisting their heads and necks almost 

 into knots. At Buckiinguy Station, in company with Mr. S. Robinson, we found a nest witli 

 eleven eggs, the bird sitting thereon as previously described ; the nest was placed among some 

 Belah trees. Emus were numerous on the plains, but there being no cover it was difficult to 

 approach them. Mr. Cameron mounted his horse and rode slowly across the plains to where a 

 great flock of Emus was feeding, and when about two hundred yards from them he lay down 

 on his back and kicked up his legs, at the same time waving a red handkerchief, and in about 

 ten minutes three or four Emus left the flock and commenced to approach, one going in a circle 

 round him, until three of them got within about fifteen yards of him, two of which he shot. 

 Messrs. Cameron and W. Robinson, using the same tactics, were again successful in getting 

 four specimens. Mr. Cameron afterwards explained to me that these were the methods used by 

 the Aborigines to lure the Emu, who, when close enough, used the spear with deadly effect. 

 Their call is a sort of surprised booming sound, at once recognised by bushmen. The food 

 consists of grass seeds, berries, gruies, ipiandongs, etc. On opening some of their stomachs I 

 found them full of grasshoppers. They also contained a variety of other things, such as screws, 

 nails, pieces of barbed wire, marbles, etc." 



Mr. Thos. P. Austin, of Cobborah Station, Cobbora, New South Wales, wrote as follows: — 

 " Whether seen in captivity, or in its native state, the Emu (Divnurns novce-hoUandiie ) is a bird 

 which usually attracts attention, even to those people who see them almost every day of their 

 lives. It is a fine sight to see a large Hock either quietly feeding in open country, standing 

 looking at you, or racing away across a plain. I have many a time, while mustering 

 stock, seen a flock of them coming towards me, evidently disturbed by some of the musterers, and 

 I have pulled up my horse and stood quite still to watch them pass only a few yards away, with 

 their necks almost straight out and low down. On they come, and one hears the heavy thud of 

 their feet as they strilce the ground, then as they pass the peculiar rustling noise of their feathers. 

 If they suddenly see you while passing, they throw their heads upwards, sometimes almost till 

 it touches their back, and at the same time give a tremendous bound forward, and this is the 

 time their feathers rustle most. As to this fine species becoming e.vtinct, I have little doubt that 

 such an unfortunate thing will eventually happen, but I believe it will be very many years before 

 this does occur. When we think of the many thousands of acres of country where the Emus 

 still breed and are practically undisturbed, surely we can reckon on them existing for a very 

 long time yet. I know perfectly well that many thousand Emus and their eggs are destroyed 

 every year, and they are fast getting driven back into the interior. This wholesale destruction 

 of such a fine bird, no doubt to many people appears to be a very great wrong, and theoretically 

 it is, but if these people only knew the damage done by large flocks of Emus, they would in all 

 probability change their views a little. They are not only very destructive to fences, but also 

 to ewes and lambs. I have often seen flocks of them race into a mob of sheep and kick the latter 

 in all directions ; they do not race through the mob and be done with it, but turn and come back 

 time and again. This sort of play appears to happen mostly upon frosty mornings. I have also 

 known them to remain about a dam and prevent sheep coming there to drink; now can it be 



102 



