9202 Birds. 
absent a day or two, a source of disturbance occurred which I did not 
know of till afterwards. Nothing amiss with the sitting bird was 
detected on my return. Early on the afternoon of the day following, 
however, I found the bird off the nest, and wandering about, to my 
great dismay, in a state of the utmost excitement. Nothing could 
reconcile him, or attract him back again to the nest. After some 
inquiry I learned that a pleasure-boat had just gone up the river,— 
a privilege we by no means wish to deny our neighbours up or down 
our sullen, but attractive and sylvan little stream,—and that previously, 
in the week, the same or another boat had landed some of the party, 
to notice the birds, during my absence from home. The sight of 
strangers, especially ladies in black, or with flying gay ribands, or loud 
voices, or unaccustomed.noises of any kind, always greatly disturbs 
and excites them. But it was the plash and sound of the skulls in 
rowing that I believe was the great cause of offence. I have since 
noticed that the beating of a carpet or a drum, anywhere within 
hearing in the neighbourhood, greatly distresses them; and I have now 
no doubt it was a boat coming up the river that Sunday morning that 
was the unknown and mysterious cause of disturbance on the first 
occasion (see Zool. 8319). I had ample evidence that the sight or 
sound of a boat is something of which these birds have a remarkable 
dread or antipathy to, when, on going my round two or three days 
afterwards, I again found the two young emeus, then a year old, ina 
state of the greatest anger and alarm, with flaming eyes and mouths 
open, one of them having leaped the fence in its terror. On looking 
round for the cause, there was the boat, having just landed opposite 
their inclosure,—come to make an apology,—the lady and gentleman 
having heard of the unfortunate disturbance ! 
My poor sitting emeu—that was! Everything I could think of to 
quiet and console him, and attract him back again to the nest, was 
persevered in till hopeless. All the more likely eggs were then 
removed to the incubator. As I anticipated, the bird sat again that 
night, and the bulk of the eggs were restored. I clung to the hope 
that he would forgive and forget the offence, and resume the sitting, 
though, from certain symptoms observed, I was not very sanguine. My 
first visit in the morning satisfied me it was all over. The bird was 
off the nest, and chafing violently against the railed door of the house, 
which had been shut that night for safety. The eggs were returned 
to the incubator. 
No accident that need have been fatal to the successful hatching 
out of at least some of the eggs happened, as far as I am aware of, to. 
