6 
The Emu. 
Emu (Dromaeus novae-hollandiae) Feathers* 
By D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., &c. 
It has been usual to place the Emus in the order Casuarii, at 
the bottom of the classification of birds, but in the newest 
classification (Dr. Sharpe's "Hand-List of Birds") the Emus 
are given the primary place, in the order Casuariifonnes. It is a 
happy circumstance, therefore, that the organ of the Aust. O. U. 
should be named after a member of the highest order of birds, 
both as regards classification and size, the size being exceeded 
by the Ostrich only ; besides, the Emu is peculiarly Australian. 
These noble birds have a wide range, being found in every 
part of the continent except in the dense scrub-covered ranges 
on the north-eastern coast, where the Cassowary takes their place. 
Emus were formerly found in Tasmania and on Kangaroo 
Island, and I have likewise found their bones on some of the 
islands of Bass Strait — namely, in the Kent Group and on King 
Island — which shows that they existed before Tasmania was 
separated from the mainland. 
The late Mr. A. D. Bartlett described before the Zoological 
Society of London, on 24th May, 1859, what he thought was 
another species, and gave it the name of DronicEiis irroratus. 
The type, he says, "was obtained with others far in the interior 
of South Australia, several hundred miles from Port Phillip." 
As Port Phillip is in Victoria, the exact locality that his speci- 
mens came from is somewhat vague. Subsequent to his descrip- 
tion and to the remarks published by Gould in his " Handbook," 
all the West Australian birds were called D. irroratus. 
In the Melbourne Zoological Gardens many live specimens 
from different parts of Australia have been received, including 
those from North-Western Australia, and they are practically all 
the same, and when the fully adult specimens — that is, over three 
years old — from the latter district are placed alongside those of 
Victoria or New South Wales one cannot distinguish any 
practical difference ; but young specimens, both from New South 
Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, which have their feathers 
distinctly barred or spotted have been frequently received. In 
some cases nearly every feather was barred. The spotted 
plumage appears as they lose their down, but at the end of the 
first year many of their mottled feathers, which have got worn 
and ragged, are gradually shed, and new feathers, as a rule 
without bars, take their place, but occasionally in some birds 
barred feathers are again in evidence throughout the second and 
third years, especially on the upper part of the back and the base 
of the neck. For instance, there were two birds in their first 
year received from North-Western Australia. They both came 
from one nest, a male and female. The male lost all his barred 
feathers at the end of the first year, but the female, in her second 
year's growth of feathers, had a considerable number barred on 
