THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
ball by a convict, employed for the purpose of shooting animals for the 
Governor), and gives the anatomical singularities. This bird measured 
7 feet 2 inches from the end of the toe to the tip of the beak, and weighed 
74 lbs., and is the same bird as that mentioned by Phillip and White in their 
books. 
The same author mentions* seeing an old bird and ten young ; three others 
were captured alive and given to the Governor, but died after a few days ; 
these young were beautifully striped. This author was the first to describe the 
nest and egg of this species. The first egg was picked up in the “ desart 
place ” ; he accurately describes it, giving measurements and weight. A 
nest found later on contained twelve eggs. The heaviest bird known to him 
weighed 94 lbs. 
The first coloured plate of the Emu is given in Phillip’s book.! The bird 
was shot two miles from the settlement ; and a sketch of it was made by 
Lieutenant Watts, whose name appears on the plate as the draughtsman, 
with that of Peter Mazell as the engraver, of the figure. J 
Dr. John White§ (Surgeon-General to the settlement) also gives a coloured 
figure of this bird, and in the “ Advertisement ” to his book. Dr. White states 
that the specimens figured in his work were in the Leverian Museum, but the 
Emu seems not to have been included in the catalogue. 
The skin referred to by the above three authors was sent in spirits to 
England, and given to Sir Joseph Banks by Lord Sydney. It was then 
mounted, and Sir Joseph afterwards deposited it in the collection of natural 
history specimens of Mr. John Hunter in Leicester Square. It afterwards 
became the property of the Royal College of Surgeons, and has long since 
been destroyed. The late Bowdler Sharpe told me that when the authorities 
of the Royal College of Surgeons handed over all their collection of mounted 
birds to the British Museum, they made a search for the Emu, but could 
discover no trace of it. This bird was shot in February, 1788, as mentioned by 
White, who says, “ The colour of the plumage consists of a mixture of dirty 
brown and grey ; on the belly it was somewhat whiter. . . . upon the upper 
part of the head the feathers, with which it is but thinly covered, are very small, 
looking more like hair than feathers, and having the neck pretty well clothed 
with them, except the chin and throat, which are so thinly covered that the 
skin, which is there of a purplish colour, may be seen clearly.” White’s figure, 
founded on Lieutenant Watts’ drawing has been considerably modified, probably 
* A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, p. 174 (1793). 
f The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay, 1889. 
{ Mazell was a well-known artist and engraver, and was largely employed by Benjamin White, the 
publisher of the principal Natural History works of the time. 
§ Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, p. 129 (1790). 
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