61 



CHAPTEE IV. 



THE ElIU— THE WILD TCEKET — THE LOWAN— THE K'ATIVE 

 PHEASANT. 



TnE Emu, or as the natives call it, " Ourer," is also 

 called the Australian cassowary and is the largest bird in 

 the colony, but is now rarely met witli in the settled dis- 

 tricts, and I can say nothing of its habits from my own 

 personal observation. It is by no means rare in many 

 parts of the country ; but we must now look for the emu 

 far back in the wild plains and extensive sheep-runs up 

 country, which are rarely intruded upon by the presence 

 of man, except it be a solitary shepherd or stock-rider. 

 A small flock used to frequent the wild country round 

 the kangaroo-ground, and during my stay there two were 

 killed. They were not so very shy, and often came within 

 range of the wood-splitters' tents. In habits and appear- 

 ance the emu much resembles the ostrich ; but it is not 

 nearly so large, and wants the fine tail and wing feathers 

 peculiar to that bird. The general colour is brownish- 

 black, the feathers long, and clothed with fibres like hair ; 

 they can't fly, and are generally ridden down with kangaroo 

 dogs. It is a very fat bird, and when boiled down, emu 

 oil, like the shark's oil among fishermen, is the bushman's 

 universal remedy for rheumatism and other bush com- 



