CHAP, ix.] ORTHOGRAPHY. 353 



ledge, as all unprejudiced are, an acquaintance with the 

 actions, views, and designs of these creatures, must be 

 a higher gratification than ever they can yield in the 

 field or the dining-room." The English reader will 

 not be amazed, like an Australian native, that other 

 besides marketable animals should ever receive a glance 

 of attention from civilized men. "Our tawny friend 

 Daraga," says Mr. G. Bennet*, "was puzzled to form 

 a conjecture why, with such abundance of cattle, sheep, 

 &c., we wanted Mallangongs, or Duck-billed Water- 

 moles ! " I have not introduced the Emeu as an aviary 

 bird from any experience of keeping it on my own 

 grounds. I doubt whether I dare keep a pair, had such 

 ever been bestowed upon me. The sight of such a couple 

 of rare poultry chasing each other round the boundaries 

 of our lawn might cause the neighbours to ask how long 

 it would be before the Commission of Lunacy was 

 issued. But, in spite of this difficulty, a few particulars 

 that have been collected, and others that have been 

 kindly communicated, induce me to devote a few pages 

 to this noble creature. 



The name of the bird is spelt in two ways : by Ben- 

 net and by the first Australian discoverers, Emeu ; by 

 Mitchell, Swainson, Sturt, and others, Emu. We 

 prefer retaining the elder mode. To English readers 

 the point seems of no importance, and would really be 

 of none, except as fixing in written language the ori- 

 ginal Indian pronunciation ; whether the syllables are 

 to be sounded as E-me-u according to the first, or E-moo 

 as the latest orthography would lead us to conclude. 

 But Emeu is not the native name of the Dromaius 



* Trans. Zool. Soc., London, vol. i. p. 245. 



A A 



