EMU. 
through the scrub. At the end of a few weeks, however, even with an intruder 
close by, he crouches low upon the nest with his head and neck flat upon the 
ground, and his sombre plumage is then so closely in harmony with his 
surroundings that he is not easily detected — a surprising circumstance with 
a bird so large as the Emu. The female may generally be seen making a straight 
line for the nest in the evening, and wandering off from it again at dawn. 
Nearing the nest the course of both birds is always erratic ; they circle about it 
for a time, approaching from all points of the compass. However the trails 
may vary, they all unite at one point, and thence for about fifty yards there is 
a straight line for the nest, which from much trampling finally becomes as 
clearly defined as a beaten ‘ pad.’ Even when the female lets him ofi duty 
for a few hours at night the male is never far distant, and on the first sign or sound 
of alarm the faithful sentinel makes straight for the nest, his feathers ruffled 
up in fury until he looks quite a formidable adversary. If the intruder be a tame 
dog or a dingo the bird goes straight at him, pecking and kicking, and soon drives 
him off. . . . After the young are hatched the female still takes the lesser share 
of the trouble. For two or three weeks both parents are in charge of the brood. 
When they are wandering in search of food or water the male is invariably 
the advance guard, while the hen brings up the rear, but when the mother finally 
leaves the family as they gain strength, the ‘ old man ’ changes his tactics 
and always follows the young.” 
Of the birds described, the adult, which is the bird figured, is from 
Eastern Australia ; the others being from Western Austraha. 
The attitude of the adult in the plate is taken from a photo from life 
kindly lent to me by the Hon. Walter Rothschild. 
■* 
13 
