56 Emu and Ostrich Farming. 



when " Jenny " proceeded to pnll the veil off the baby's face, and 

 she offered up a prayer of gratitude when she found herself, she 

 could not tell how, on the outer side of the fence, whilst the 

 " two monsters " wei'e still in the field, grunting and drumming a 

 fond farewell. 



I took advantage of this vice at the time a photograph was 

 being taken. It is almost impossible to " take " these birds ex- 

 cept by " snap shot." I threw down a handkerchief on the ground 

 and directed the photographer to " fire" the moment they stopped 

 to investigate the attraction, and the result is what you can see 

 for yourselves in the book of photographs I now hand round for 

 inspection. You will recognise the one alluded to by the white 

 blotch in the foreground. Once " Tommy " escaped from Bill- 

 holm, and he probably would not have gone very far from 

 " Jenny," but when the man in charge tried to drive him into the 

 field again he became excited, and his temper was not soothed 

 when his keeper sought assistance. " Tommy " promptly took to 

 the hills, and, when the hue-and-cry was raised that he was off, 

 all the men and collies in the neighbourhood joined in hot pursuit. 

 I was from home at the time, but the run was described to me as 

 a most brilliant affair, and certainly equal to any fox-hunt on 

 record up to that day. The ground covered was about 20 miles, 

 and it was many hours before he was " run to earth " at Castle O'er, 

 five miles from home. Having had quite a nice "outing" he had 

 reached this point on his way home to Billholm. Men and dogs 

 had enough of it, and a cart was requisitioned, in which he was 

 carried home in triumph to his paddock, from which he never 

 again tried to escape unless pressed. Another escape took place, 

 but it was a Rhea this time, and happened at Castle O'er. She, 

 wishing to have a more extended view of the surrounding 

 country, " climbed " the fence, and, taking " Tommy " as her ex- 

 ample, carried out her intention by also taking to the hills. I 

 heard of her from time to time, as having visited sundry farm 

 houses and herd's cottages, many of them several miles away, as 

 also of many a good hunt after her with collie dogs. Eventually, 

 having been about fourteen days "at large," she appeared at Crurie, 

 two miles from Castle O'er. I enlisted the aid of one of my 

 servants, whom I shall call " John," and we started off to try to 

 capture the delinquent. We found her in one of the fields, and I 

 sent John to the farmhouse to borrow a piece of scone as bait. I 



