////. i;n i i 500 



'then- i- always an wld number. some m-sts having U-en discovered with nine, others with 

 eleven, and others, again, with thirteen." Th- >f the eggs is, while fn-sh, a rich green, 



of varyim,',pialit\. but after the shell- an- emptied and exposed to the light, the beautiful 

 green hue fades int.. an unwholesome greenish-brown. The parent birds sit U|M>II tln-ii eggs, 



:* I" '- I : i n-lated of I he ostrich The Kmeii is not |Mlygamoiis, one m.il.' U-itiK a pp. -it i <! 



i.' .1 -in. !- female 



In capth it\. the Kmeii -.HIM ai .. -in modates itself to .-in iim-iaiuvs, and breeds freely, and 

 seems as much at ease as if it wen- in the state of freedom. It is a mo-t in.pii-ith,- bird. 

 in-|Mi ' \ noi.-lty with gn-at attention. "I on,.-." write- IM. Iteunett. "saw a fine 



Ituir of full-grown s]M-cimeii>. in a paddock MI>-\ . Stoppim; to observe one which was 



at a short distance fntm the fence, lie immediately cairn- down to ha\>- a look at me. 

 The second binl was some distance off, but, with their usual keenness of vision, on JUT- 

 i-eiving me viewing his i---rii|.:ini-in. h-- ,-am-- -la! kin..- d-uMi rapidly . and they Ix.lh -laml al 

 in-' in. .-i attentively, *tret< liin_ ,-ni 'h-n n.-. k- !"-! thfl -il-.' (' making a n.-an-i ai-.| iiaiiitaii,-.-. 

 when, finding no n-sult fnm our int-r\ i>-w, and their curio-it\ Ix-in- s;iti-!i,-l, they quietly 

 -talk-'d awa\ . 



"In the Domain, near the Government Mouse, some tame Kmeiis may be seen walking 

 about, and often, near the Grand House, man-hint; with measured |Mi4-e, as if keeping guard 

 with the soldiers on duty. Out-day, during the levee, when the Domain wius cmwded with 

 people to see the arrivals and listen to the band, the Kmeiis minghnl with the <-n)wd, appar- 

 ently enjoying the gay scene around them, when some strangers, who wen- afraid of these 

 birds, ran away. On seeing this, the Kmeus, enjoying a chase, pursued, ami overtaking one 

 of the gentlemen, took off his hat. t<> his great surprise. The aliove circumstance demonstrates 

 their fearless nature, and how readily these noble birds mii;ht be domesticated." 



The color of the adult bird is lightish-brown and gray, but when it is young, its plumage 

 is decorated with four broad, black, longitudinal stri|H-s down the lick, and four on each side, 

 and four more down the mvk and breast. These strij>es run in iuirs. the two streaks of each 

 pair being divided by a narrow line of white. Towanls the head, the stripes an- broken into 

 spots and dashes. The feathers are very loose, and hairy in their ap]tearance, and, us is the 

 case with all the Striithiones, will rejiay u close examination, on account of the great develop- 

 ment of the accessory plumes, springing fnmi the -hafts <>f th<- feathers. The height of u fine 

 male Kmeii is from -i\ to seven feet. 



Another sjM-cies In-longing to the same genus, the SI-OITKK KMKI* (Drwiuiinx irrordlujt), 

 is found in the s:im<- country, and can be distinguished !>y it- black head and neck, and the 

 i of brownish-black and gray U]xm it- 



AMKIMCA is not without n-pn-x-ntatives of this tin,- group of birds. 



The KIIKA is a native of South America, and is i--|M-.-ially plentiful along the River Plata. 

 It is generally seen in juiirs, though it sometimes a-s.x-iates together in flocks of twenty or 

 thirty in nuimVr. Like all the memlM-rs of this group, it is a swift -fi>ot.il and wary binl, but 

 possesses so litti,- pr. -.-n, . of mind that it becomes confused when threatened with danger, 

 runs aimlessly first in one direction, and then in another, thus giving time for the hunter to 

 come up and sluxit it, or bring it to the Around with his "lMla.s" a terrible wea|H>n, consist- 

 ing of a cord with a heavy ball at each end. which is flung at the binl, and winds its coils 

 round its neck and legs, so as to entangle it, and l>rin>; it t< the ground. 



The food of the Hhea consists mainly of grosses, nx.ts, and other vegetable siibstancea, but 

 it will occasionally eat animal fix d, U-ing known to come down to the mud banks of the river 

 for the piirjKjae of mting the little tish that have N-en stranded in the shallows. 



Our knowledge of the IMi.-a and it.s habits is almost wholly derived from Mr. Darwin's 

 writings, and, as an original narrative is mostly superior to a second-hand description, iwrt of 

 his account will be given in his own words. The reader must remember that the Rhea is 

 popularly called the o-trich in South Am- lira 



" This bird is well known to abound on the plain- of La Plata. To the north it is found, 

 according to Azara, in Paraguay, where, however, it is not common ; to the south, its limit 



