162



J. K. Butter,



they are black, with a broad subterminal band of rufous. In

Western Australia you get the so-called Spotted Emeu ( Dromons

irroratus) of more slender build, having the feathers barred with

white and dark grey, terminating in a black spot, with a rufous

margin, while the two sexes of the adult are nearly similar, the

female is the larger of the two. The male remains attached to

a single female, instead of being polygamous.


The note of the Emeu is a low booming or pumping noise

produced by the female by means of the expansion and contraction of

a large membranous hag surrounding an oblong opening through the

rings of the trachea. The male has no voice beyond a suppressed

hiss when angry and a sort of grunt when distressed.


Emeus take readily to water, and can swim well. Their

vision is keen and they are swift of foot. They can deliver a powerful

kick, and the blow is delivered outwards and backwards. Beneath

the skin these birds have a thick layer of fat, yielding a pale amber-

coloured oil which is free from taste or smell. The flesh is not

iinlike coarse beef and sweet to eat. They lay from six to nine eggs

of a beautiful dark green, resembling shagreen in appearance,

5f inches in length by 3f inches in breadth. These are nice to eat,

being very rich in flavour, and the contents of one egg just covers the

bottom of an ordinary frying-pan.


The Emeu squats down with its legs stretched out in front of

it. I had three in my paddock, they were very hardy birds, and had

a shed to shelter in if they liked; but they preferred staying out in

the field all night, and in the morning were often resting on the

ground, with icicles hanging from their feathers. The feathers are

double, springing from a single shaft. I have heard the lecturer in

a menagerie describe this bird as having neither tongue, wing, nor

tail, and every quill in its body bears two distinct feathers ! They

drink water freely, gulping it down, especially in the warm weather,

which distresses them a good deal. They feed on grass, roots, grain,

bread, fruits, Indian corn, broken-up dog biscuits, cabbage, lettuce,

chopped turnips, and carrots.


The female lays generally in a sandy hollow, and it is the

male bird that incubates the beautiful granulated green-coloured eggs.



