flF 
THE BIHDS OF AUSTRALIA 
to a greater or less degree ; others may have no markings. At the end of the 
second year these fine feathers will be replaced by the coarse feathers of the 
adult plumage j which do not show any bars. In the third year the clutch 
will be practically alike. In the adult birds many will be noticed darker than 
others, but it is mostly due to age and moulting. The older birds are 
frequently of a lighter hue, and have the head and upper portion of the neck 
nearly bare of the hair-like feathers. The upper fringe of the longer feathers 
on the neck is very light, looking almost white. In the young birds the neck 
and head are fairly well covered with the black bristly feathers. When the 
dark tips of the new feathers appear through the older ones (which are 
lighter), the bird has a patchy appearance.* 
“ When the male is sitting, he picks at all the grass and leaves within 
reach, and places them under him. The male usually sits during the day and 
the female at night. If any accident happens to the female, the male will 
hatch out and rear the young. 
“ Old addled eggs found in the nests are sometimes nearly white.” 
Mr. A. H. E. Mattingley says : — “ The eggs of the Emu range in colour from 
white ; purplish-brown ; purple ; lavender purple ; yellowish-purple to dark 
green. 
“ The Emu can get through water very quickly — I have often seen them 
running through Murray River swamps with young following them. They 
nest on the ridges of these swamps, and feed upon a soft nutritious water- 
weed known as cats’-tails (Myriophyllum). I have also seen them swimming 
(when hard pressed) across streams in the Riverina and North Queensland.” 
Mr. James I. Scrymgeour, “ Callandoon,” writes : — “ Emus were plentiful 
when Messrs. Ross and Scrymgeour took possession of ‘ Callandoon.’ The 
contractors were paid 6d. per egg and Is. 6d. per head for the birds, and 
during three months destroyed sixteen hundred eggs and nine hundred birds. 
This was necessary, as the birds spread the prickly pear. I have seen three 
hundred and sixty-seven pear-seeds taken from the inside of a single bird, 
and most of the digested food was coloured red with the pear- juice. They 
prefer this food, when they can get it, to any other. 
“ I have noticed broods of twelve, fifteen, eighteen and two of 
twenty-two each. 
“ They must live to a great age, as I have seen some killed here quite 
green on the legs, and notched and hard hke knotted wood. 
“ Bushmen here shoot them by lying down within sight of a mob and 
waving their hat on a stick, when the bird will come right up within a few 
feet. After a shot others, as curious as the first, will continue to come up, 
and I have seen as many as fifteen shot like this. 
* This I notice in a skin in my collection from Tucka Tucka, given me by Mr. H. L. White of Scone. 
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