220 Proceedings of the Loyal Physical Society. 
The incubation of Emu eggs takes about eight weeks. A 
reference to a record kept at the Zoological Gardens, 
Melbourne, shows that in 1892 young were noticed there 
on the 57th day after the male bird commenced to sit. 
The male bird takes the task of incubation, during the day 
at all events. This has been proved by birds being pushed 
from the nest, run down by dogs, and dissected on the spot. 
I unintentionally “aided and abetted” in this cruel act, but 
once only. Then I can plead in extenuation that the 
bird was started accidentally when we were kangarooing. 
Hunters invariably endeavour to keep their hounds off 
brooding Emus. 
It has not been proved satisfactorily that the female never 
sits or never relieves the male at night, but it has been 
proved she lays at night, or between sunset and sunrise. A 
hunter while on the rounds to his traps tested two nests, 
examining them every night and morning. He found an egg 
was deposited every second day between sunset and sunrise, 
and I can vouch for his statement. However, other observers 
are at variance on this point. One says, when the Emu 
commences to lay she deposits an egg every day until the 
clutch is completed. Another, referring to a pair of birds he 
watched closely in his private reserve, says: ‘The laying 
was commenced and continued for about a month, until there 
were 9 eggs in the nest.” 
The males tend the brood of young when hatched, but up 
to what age? I have seen a female accompanied by the 
previous season’s nearly grown birds. This may be a reason 
why her lord tends to the current brood, while it is also 
an argument against any supposition that she relieves her 
mate on the nest at night. 
In answer to a query of mine in the columns of The 
Australian, the following most interesting reply was received 
from a correspondent in South Gippsland (Victoria), and 
published in the issue of the 9th October 1886 :-— 
“The Emu’s nest was not in a bush paddock, but in 
a small rye-grass paddock of about four acres close to the 
homestead, such paddock being clear of timber or trees 
except a few pines and willows, and is enclosed by a paling 
