EMU. 91 
when applied to the surface of the body, they are invisible; they 
are useless for flying. The wings are clothed with feathers, exactly 
similar to those of the back, which divide from a middle line and 
fall gracefully over on either side. he bill is straight, very much 
depressed towards the sides, slightly keeled along the middle, and 
rounded at the extremity ; the nostrils are large. The bill and legs 
are dusky black. This bird possesses great keenness of vision ; it is 
tailless. There are three toes on each foot, directed forwards, the 
nails being short and robust. 
Habits.—The female utters a low-booming or pumping noise. 
She produces this note by alternately expanding and contracting a 
large membraneous bag, which surrounds an oblong opening through 
the rings of the trachea. The length of the emu’s legs and the 
muscularity of its thivhs enable it to run with great swiftness. It 
depends on its speed to escape from its enemies—whether stockmen, 
blacks or dogs. Mr. Cunningham, the botanist, noticed that all 
dogs will not attack it, on account of some peculiar odour of its 
fiesh which they dislike The best time to hunt it is the early 
morning, when it is cropping the grass. Dogs not accustomed to 
hunt it are often injured through catching it by the flanks or the 
legs, for it kicks sideways like a cow. It is not overtaken till quite 
tired out. Trained dogs catch it by the neck, when it is overthrown 
and killed. Major 'T’. Mitchell, writing of his exploration of the 
course of the Darling states :—‘‘ As we crossed a plain the dogs set 
off after three emus, the whole disappearing in the woods. Some 
time after, while passing through a scrub, we came upon the two 
dogs standing quietly beside a dead emu, the first they had killed to 
our knowledge.” Forrest, describing his search for Leichhardt, 
1869. observes :—‘‘ Yesterday morning the dogs caught an emu, off 
which we made a first-rate breakfast.” Emus travel many miles in 
the night for water, if needed. Sturt remarks—‘‘A pack of 
thirteen came to Depot Creek one night, which had been seen twelve 
miles to the north on the evening before.” The are good swimmers. 
Sturt, when exploring the Murrumbidgee in a boat, and ‘‘ being 
just about to land to prepare dinner, saw two emus swim across the 
river,” 
Nidification.—The breeding season commences as early as June, 
and continues tili the end of September. Mr. K. H. Bennett 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 stem of this plant, apparently for the purpose of 
keeping them in positionand preventing them from rollingaway. At 
other times they are placed ona 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 form a sitting. They are usually oval 
in form, and in some instances slightly pointed at each end, in others 
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