446 THE EMEU. 



the Ostrich is a mere shallow hole scooped in the sand, in which are 

 placed a large number of eggs, all set upright, and with a number of 

 supplementary eggs laid round the margin. 



The eggs are hatched mostly by the heat of the sun ; but, contrary 

 to the popular belief, the parent birds are very watchful over their 

 nests, and aid in hatching the eggs by sitting upon them during the 

 night. Both parents give their assistance in this task. The eggs 

 which are laid around the margin of the nest are not sat upon, and 

 consequently are not hatched, so that when the eggs within the nest are 

 quite hard, and the young bird is nearly developed, those around are 

 quite fit for food. Their object is supposed to be to give nourishment 

 to the young birds before they are strong enough to follow their parents 

 and forage for themselves. These eggs are put to various useful purposes. 

 Not only are they eaten, but the shell is carefully preserved and chip- 

 ped into spoons and ladles, or the entire shell employed as a water-ves- 

 sel, the aperture at the top being stuffed with grass. 



The feathers are too well known to need description. On an average, 

 each feather is worth about twenty-five cents. 



The flesh of the Ostrich is tolerably good, and is said to resemble 

 that of the zebra. It is, however, only the young Ostrich that furnishes 

 a good entertainment, for the flesh of the old bird is rank and tough. 

 The fat is highly valued, and when melted is of a bright orange color. 

 It is mostly eaten with millet flour, and is also stirred into the egg 

 while roasting, so as to make a rude but well-flavored omelet. 



The vx)ice of the Ostrich is a deep, hollow, rumbling sound, so like 

 the roar of the lion that even practised ears have been deceived by it 

 and taken the harmless Ostrich for a prowling lion. In its wild state 

 the Ostrich is thought to live from twenty to thirty years. 



In the male bird the lower part of the neck and the body are deep 

 glossy black, with a few white feathers, which are barely visible except 

 when the plumage is ruffled. The plumes of the wings and tail are 

 white. The female is ashen brown sprinkled with white, and her tail 

 and wing plumes are white, like those of the male. The weight of a 

 fine adult male seems to be between two and three hundred pounds. 



The Emeu inhabits the plains and open forest country of Central 

 Australia, where it was in former days very common, but now seems 

 to be decreasing so rapidly in numbers that Dr. Bennett, who has had 

 much personal experience of this fine bird, fears that it will ere many 

 years be numbered with the dodo, the great auk, the nestor, and other 

 extinct species. 



The food of the Emeu consists of grass and various fruits. Its voice 

 is a curious, hollow, booming or drumming kind of note, produced 

 by the peculiar construction of the windpipe. The legs of this bird 

 are shorter and stouter in proportion than those of the ostrich, and the 



