54 THE EMU. 



nest; he then, when they have done laying, 

 chases them away, and places himself upon the 

 eggs ; however, he takes the singular precaution 

 of laying two of the number aside, which he 

 does not sit upon. When the young ones come 

 forth, these two eggs are addled ; which the male 

 having foreseen, breaks one, and then the other, 

 upon which multitudes of flies are found to settle ; 

 and these supply the young brood with a suffi- 

 ciency of provisions till they are able to shift for 

 themselves. 



On the other hand, Wafer asserts, that he has 

 seen great quantities of this animal's eggs on the 

 desert shores, north of the river Plata, where 

 they were buried in the sand, in order to be 

 hatched by the heat of the climate. Both this, 

 as well as the preceding account, may be doubt- 

 ed ; and it is more probable that it was the cro- 

 codile's eggs which Wafer had seen, which are 

 undoubtedly hatched in that manner. 



When the young ones are hatched, they are 

 familiar, and follow the first person they meet. I 

 have been followed myself, says Wafer, by many 

 of these young ostriches, which at first are ex- 

 tremely harmless and simple ; but as they grow 

 older, they become more cunning and distrust- 

 ful, and run so swift, that a greyhound can 

 scarcely overtake them. Their flesh, in general, 

 is good to be eaten, especially if they be young. 

 It would be no difficult matter to rear up flocks 

 of these animals tame, particularly as they are 

 naturally so familiar ; and they might be found 

 to answer domestic purposes, like the hen or the 



