EMU 
rnigrates to the foinhern parts of Great l^rltaln. 
it fpends fo much of it's time in the water, that 
the more credulous are of opinion it never quits 
that element; and that it hatches it's young in a 
hole formed by nature for that purpofe under it's 
wing. 
The Ember Goofe is fuperior in fize to the com- 
mon one; tiie head is dufky; the back, the coverts 
of the wings, and the tail, are clouded with lighter 
and darker fhades of the fame hue ; the primaries 
and the tail are black; ^the under fide of the neck 
is fpotted with duflcy ; the breaft and belly are fil- 
very; and the legr. are black. The fkin is fo tough, 
that in feme of the northern countries it is faid to 
anfwer all the purpofes of leather. 
EMBERIZA. An appellation, with the addi- 
tion of the epithets White and Yellow, ufed to ex- 
prefs the bunting and the yellow-hammer. In the 
Linnaean fyfrem, it conftitutes a difi;in6l genus of 
pafTcres, including a great number of fpecies. 
EMBRYO WORMS. Of thefe infers, which 
are lodged in the bodies of viviparous two-winged 
flies, the arrangement is a matter of no fmall cu- 
riofity. If one of them be accurately differed, 
the parts where the Embryo Worms are inclofcd 
will plainly appear. This diffedion, which con- 
fifts in taking off the whole upper fhell of the body 
from the lower, is eafily performed with a pair of 
fciffars; and that part which covers the belly may 
be turned back on the corfelet, without difturbing 
the internal members by the operation; when the 
form and arrangement of thofe parts which contain 
the Embryo Worms in thefe will be found very 
different from the fliape and order of thofe which 
encircle the eggs in common flies. 
EMPIS. A name fometimes expreflive of a 
large fpecies of gnat found about rivers and ponds ; 
and diftinguilhed from all other kinds by a white 
circle furrounding the middle of it's body. 
EMU. An American bird, called by fome au- 
thors the Oftrich of the New Vv^orld. It is but very 
little known ; and thofe naturalifts who mention it 
feem rather defirous of proving it's affinity to the 
oftrich, than of defcribing thofe peculiarities which 
diftinguifh it from all others of the feathered crea- 
tion. 
Thefe birds are chiefly found in Guiana, on the 
banks of the Oroonoko, in the interior provinces 
of Brazil and Chili, and in the vaft forcils which 
border on the River Plata. Several other parts of 
America were once known to contain them; but 
as mankind have multiplied, thofe large and timo- 
rous creatures have either fallen vidlims to their 
power, or retired from their vicinity. 
The Emu, though not fo large as the oftrich, 
is the fecond bird to it in magnitude, being by far 
the largeft in the new continent. The head ge- 
nerally meafures flx feet from the ground ; the legs 
are three feet long; and tlie thighs are nearly as 
thick as thofe of a man. It has three toes, whereas 
the oftrich has but two; the neck is lono;; the head 
is fmall; and the bill is depreffed like that of the 
oftrich ; but, in all other refpefts, it bears a ftronger 
refemblance to the cafibwary than to any other 
fowl. The fnape of the body is roundifh; the 
wings are flicrt, and entirely unfuitable for flight; 
and it has no tail. The back and rump are co- 
vered with long feathers, which fall backwards, and 
cover the anus; and thefe are grey on the back, and 
white on the belly. It moves with great velocity, 
and feems to derive aOlftance in it's progrefs from 
a kind of tubercle behind fnaped like a heel, by 
ENC 
which It treads very fecurely. In it's courfe It ufes 
a very fingular kind of a6tion ; namely, that of lift- 
ing up one wing, v^/hich it keeps elevated for a 
time, and afterwards the other. Whether this 
creature makes ufe of it's wing as a fail in order to 
catch the wind, or as a rudder to dire£l it's courfe, 
remains yet to be afcertained : however that may 
be, it runs with fuch amazing fwiftnefs, as gene- 
rally to leave the fleeteft dogs far behind it; and 
one of them, on finding itfelf furrounded by the 
hunters, is faid to have darted among the dogs 
with fuch aftonifning fury, that to avoid it's rage 
theyinftantly gave way, while the courageous ani- 
mal efcaped in fafety to the mountains. 
This bird being but very little known, travellers 
have given fcope to their imaginations in 'defcrib- 
ing fome of it's actions, which they are well aware 
cannot be eafily contradifted. Nieremberg informs 
us, that it is very peculiar in it's mode of incuba- 
tion : ' The male,' ftys he, ' compels tv/enty or 
thirty of the females to lay their eggs in one neft; 
he then chafes them away, and places himfelf on 
the eggs; however, he takes the fingular precau- 
tion of laying two of the number afide, on which 
he does not fit. When the young ones come 
forth, thefe two eggs are addled ; which the male 
having forefeen, breaks one, and then another, on 
which multitudes of flies are feen to fettle; and 
thefe fupply the young brood with a fufficiency of 
provifion till tliey are capable of aflifting them- 
felves.' On the other hand. Wafer aflTerts, that he 
has found great quantities of the eggs of this ani- 
mal on the defart fliores north of the River Plata, 
buried in the fand in order to be hatched by the 
heat of the climate. But of this, as well as the 
preceding account, we are fomewhat doubtful ; and 
it is highly probable that the laft of thefe natura- 
lifts faw only the eggs of the crocodile, which are 
unqueftionably hatched in that manner. 
When the young are firft excluded, they appear 
to be very familiar, as they follow the firft perfon 
they meet. * I have been attended myfelf,' fays 
Wafer, ' by many of thefe young oftriches, which 
at firft are extremely fimple and harmlefs; but, as 
they grow older, they become more cunning and 
diftruftful, and run fo fwiftly that a greyhound 
cannot overtake them.' 
Their flefti is generally efteemed proper for 
food, efpecialiy when young; and, as they are na- 
turally veiy tame, it would perhaps be no difiicuk 
matter to rear them in a domeftic ftate; efpecialiy 
as their miaintenance could not be expenfive, if^ 
as Narborough fays, they live entirely on grafs. 
ENCHELIDES. A genus of animalcules 
containing the capillary eels found in peppermint, 
vinegar, and other fluids. 
ENCHELUS. An appellation given by Ari- 
ftotle, Appian, and all the Greek writers, to the 
eel. 
ENCRASICOLUS, or the Anchovy. A finall 
fea-fifli of the harengiform kind, but deftitute of 
the row of fcrrated fcales on the belly. Thefe 
creatures are cauglit in prodigious numbers in the 
Mediterranean and fome other feas ; and are well 
known as a pickle in moft nations of Europe. See 
Anchovy. 
ENCRAULOS. An Ariftotelian appellatioa 
for the anchovy. 
ENCURECK. A venomous infed found in 
Perfia, and fuppofed by fome naturalifts to be a 
fpecies of tarantula. It neither ftings nor bites, 
but lets fall it's poifon like a drop of water, which 
4 B occafions 
