8,316 



Birds. 



placed therein, with a covering of dry litter, and the nest-eggs removed 

 thereto. To my great satisfaction the next egg was laid there, and on 

 the 24th of March, 1861, the bird finally sat down. 



Now comes the proper time for the question, Which bird really was 

 it ? The next day, as soon as I was satisfied the bird was fairly 

 settled, I hastened up to the Zoological Gardens and informed the 

 authorities of my success so far, and that their information was correct 

 in every particular, except that my female bird was the one that, 

 secunclem artem, had taken to the nest, — at least the one the captain 

 who imported them said and I had always taken to be the female emeu. 

 With this the keeper seemed much surprised and dissatisfied, and 

 began to question whether I really had the sexes. Upon his cross- 

 examining me as to the marks and signs, especially as to the voices 

 of the two birds, — upon the evidence of which I had greatly relied as 

 determining the one with the deep and distinct call being the male 

 bird, — he assured me I was mistaken ; that that bird, which was still 

 at large with me, was the female, and that consequently it was the 

 male bird that had normally sat down. I was still, I confess, 

 incredulous. 



It is proper here to observe that in the emeu, as in several other 

 Australian species, there is no characteristic male plumage, or rather 

 the little difference there is, and various other usual outward signs, is 

 reversed. Of my pair one is considerably larger than the other, stouter 

 in limb and more robust in every feature ; it has a slight top-knot, 

 and goes strutting about, especially in damp weather, with its breast- 

 feathers fully out, like a pouter pigeon, or rather some huge turkey- 

 cock. It is usually the more courageous and pugilistic. It makes a 

 deep, hollow guttural boom when under any gentle excitement of pride 

 or pleasure, especially on damp evenings or in the still hours of the 

 night, sounding like a small gong or distant muffled drum. The 

 other is more agile and graceful in all its movements, corresponding 

 with its slenderer frame, more docile and inquisitive, fleeter of foot, 

 and with no voice beyond a suppressed hiss when angry, and a sort of 

 grunt when distressed. The former is the one we took to be the male, 

 the latter the female, and all our visitors, farmers and other natural 

 judges who bad the opportunity of observing their manners, agreed in 

 the opinion. It was this last which took sole notice of the eggs (they 

 were usually laid at night, when the birds were always together, so 

 that it was not detected which actually laid them the first season), in 

 the way of arranging and concealment, and that finally sat down upon 

 them. 



