ANECDOTE OF AN EMU. 237 



tion that a female emu belonging to the Duke of 

 Devonshire, at Chiswick, lately laid some eggs, 

 and, as there was no male bird, she collected them 

 together herself, and sat upon them." 



An instance of an attempt at incubation on the 

 part of the male bird is naively related by the 

 traveller Kalm, who was indebted for the account 

 to an eye-witness of the transaction. A couple of 

 birds built their nest in a stable belonging to the 

 observer, and the female laid eggs in the nest, and 

 was about to sit upon them. Some days after, 

 the male was seen flying about the nest, some- 

 times sitting on a nail near it, and uttering a very 

 plaintive note, which betrayed his uneasiness ; on 

 a nearer examination the female was found dead 

 in her nest, from which she was removed, and her 

 body was thrown away, and the male then went 

 to sit upon the eggs ; but, after being about two 

 hours upon them, and perhaps finding the task a 

 little too troublesome, he went out and returned 

 the same afternoon with another partner, who 

 sat upon the nest, and afterwards fed the young 

 ones till they were able to provide for them- 

 selves. 



It appears well ascertained that, occasionally, 



