330 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



it is exceedingly shy, it is not easily overtaken or brought within 

 gun-shot. Captain Currie states that it affords excellent coursing, 

 equalling if not surpassing the same sport with the hare in 

 England; but Mr. Cunningham says that dogs will seldom attack 

 it, both on account of some peculiar odour in its flesh which 

 they dislike, and because the injuries inflicted upon them by 

 striking out with its feet are frequently very severe. The 

 settlers even assert that the Emu will break the small bone 

 of a man's leg by this sort of kick; to avoid which, well- 

 trained dogs run up abreast, and make a sudden spring 

 at the neck, whereby the bird is quickly dispatched. Its 

 flesh has been compared to coarse beef, which it resembles 

 both in appearance and taste." Mr. Jesse says, "The only 

 instance I have met with in which the hen bird has not the 

 chief care in hatching and bringing up the young, is in the 

 case of the Emus, at the farm belonging to the Zoological 

 Society, near Kingston. A pair of these birds bred five 

 young ones: the female, at different times, dropped nine 

 eggs in various places in the pen in which she was confined. 

 These were collected in one place by the male, who rolled 

 them gently and carefully along with his beak. He then 

 sat upon them himself, and continued to do so with the 

 utmost assiduity, for nine weeks, during which time the 

 female never took his place, nor was he ever observed to 

 leave the nest. When the young were hatched, he alone 

 took charge of them, the female not appearing to notice 

 them in any way. On reading this anecdote, many persons 

 may suppose that the female emu is not possessed of that 

 natural affection for its young which other birds have. In 

 order to rescue it from this supposition, I will mention that 

 a female emu belonging to the Duke of Devonshire at 

 Chiswick, laid some eggs; and as there was no male bird, 

 she collected them together herself, and sat upon them." 

 The Apteryx, the wingless bird of New Zealand, belongs 

 to this order. 



