")H Emu and Ostrich FARMiN(r. 



ready iiieaus of e-^rnp" by nuiniiig-. In the Emus the wiiig-s are 

 quite rudimentary, being merely bones about ten inches long, 

 though consisting of the usual joints of a bird's wing, but they 

 appear as if they had been arrested in their growth. These bones 

 are covered with the same sort of feathers as those which cover 

 the body, and are of no use for enabling them to escape from 

 their enemies. The feathers are quite unlike any we see on other 

 birds. They are very ugly to look at, are harsh to the touch, 

 and are double shafted, rising- from a single quill. The Rhea, on 

 the other hand, has large wings, covered with large feathers, but 

 as they are long and soft, they are quite unsuited for flig-ht. 

 They use their wings as rudders ; and it is quite marvellous how, 

 by raising one in the air, the bird can shoot off from its course 

 at a sharp tangent when going at the speed of a race-horse. 



In 1879, when I left Billholm and went to reside at Castle 

 O'er, I flitted my birds along with my other " furniture," and there 

 they led a happier life than they had previously done. They had 

 more space to roam about in, and, in addition, had a plantation in 

 which they could shelter in cold weather, at least in cold rain or 

 sleet. They did not seem to mind any other kind of weather, and 

 their hon Imuche was a piece of ice. I may here give you some 

 idea of the amount of cold both species can suffer, and you will 

 appreciate the information better if you will mentally compare the 

 climate of ^^outh America, or even of Australia, with the winter 

 temperature of the highlands of Humfriessliire The Rheas 

 arrived upon the 17th November, 1874, when the first few days 

 were wet and cold. I put them in a small enclosure, in which 

 there was a wooden shed, but they never entered the shed unless 

 driven in. By the 28th I had fenced in a larger space of g-round 

 as a run for them ; at the same time the weather had changed to 

 snow, followed l)y severe frost. On that day I gave them their 

 lilierty in their new enclosure, not without considerable misgiving 

 I must confess as to how they would stand the cold. 1 watched 

 them all day and up till 1 1 P.M., when I retired for the night. It 

 was bright moonlight, and I could see them stalking up and down 

 among the snow, and I feared their feet would Ije frost-bitten. 

 That night the thermometer fell to 26°. I was up by daylight 

 next morning, and was much relieved to find they were still alive 

 and moving about with complete composure. I could see from 

 their tracks that they had never entered the shed. The weather 



