218 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
animals (sparrows and rabbits, and such like vermin, may 
I add) from other countries—wishing for things they have 
not, and neglecting those they possess. . . . I must content 
myself by praying that protection may be offered to that 
noble bird, the Emu. . . . How much will the loss of this 
fine bird be regretted by every right-minded person who 
claims Australia as his fatherland !” 
In addition to many notes supplied to me by friends 
favourably situated, I made a special but albeit brief excur- 
sion during the breeding season last year (1895) into the 
Wakool district of Riverina, to gather information personally 
with regard to the Emu. I was fortunately favoured with 
an invitation to stay at “Strathdon,” the farm of my friend 
Mr Neil Macaulay (in fact, to Neil and his brothers I have 
been indebted on different occasions for information as well 
as for specimens), which is situated in the midst of the best 
Emu country; and I was still further fortunate in falling in 
with a professional Emu-eggers’ camp, pitched by permission 
within one of Mr Macaulay’s paddocks. I went hunting 
with these Emu-eggers (there were four in camp) and 
“caught on” much of their experiences gained during the 
last three seasons; some of their information, being either 
confirmatory of what was already known, or being altogether 
original, was exceedingly valuable to me. 
A few of the earlier breeders lay towards the end of April 
or after the autumnal rains, some in May, while the majority 
have laid by June or July, the young appearing during 
August and September. Of course, eggs may be seen as late 
as August, but on account of the lengthened incubation 
needed, they may have been deposited weeks previously. 
The hunters informed me the first young noticed by them 
that season (1895) was at the end of June. Mr Murdoch 
Macaulay, to whose kindness I am indebted for a specially 
selected set of eggs, informs me in the season of 1891 the 
- Emus did not commence to lay till the middle of May. The 
laying period is much regulated by the rainy season of the 
year, and they do not lay, or only do so in small proportions, 
when the seasons are droughty or bad. 
With regard to the maximum number of eggs laid by 
