DKOMAIUS. 
293 
District, during the breeding season of 1881 no less than 1,500 
eggs were destroyed ; and on another station in the Cobar District, 
more than that number were broken during 1887. No less than 
10,000 Emus were destroyed in the Wilcannia District, New 
South Wales, during the first nine months of 1888.* The breeding 
season commences as early as June and continues till the end 
of September. 
“ Mr. Iv. H. Bennett in MSS. notes states that the nests vary 
in different situations : on the plains the eggs are deposited on 
the bare ground, and if amongst the low polygonum, so common 
on large areas, the eggs are surrounded by a ring of short broken 
pieces of the stems of this plant, apparently for the purpose of 
keeping them in position and preventing them from rolling away. 
At other times they are placed on a thin layer of grass and without 
any protecting ring, whilst in the timbered country, and 
particularly where “Leopard” trees abound, a low flat mound 
some three inches high is formed by scraping together the scales 
of bark, thrown off by the above mentioned trees, on which the 
eggs are placed.” 
Eggs from seven to ten in number for a sitting, usually oval in 
form, and in some instances slightly pointed at each end, in others 
at the smaller apex only. The colour varies in all shades of dark 
green, and occasionally one egg in a sitting is found of a very pale 
green. The shell is pitted and granulated all over, closely 
resembling shagreen in appearance. 
Dimension of two eggs in the Australian Museum Collection. 
Length (A) 5'4 x 3-65 inches; (B) 5-45 x 3'G inches. 
Three average specimens from a sot of seven in the Dobroyde 
Collection, taken by Mr. James Ramsay at Tyndarie, in July, 
measure as follows :—length (A) 5'4 x 3'G inches; (B) 5-5 x 3-5 
inches ; (C) 5-5 x 3 - 55 inches. 
Hab. Cape York, Rockingham Bay, Port Denison, Wide Bay 
District, Dawson River, Richmond and Clarence Rivers Districts, 
New South Wales, Interior, Victoria and South Australia. 
(Ramsay ) 
* Sydney Morning Herald, October 15th, 1888. 
