330 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

it is exceedingly shy, it is not easily overtaken or brought within
gun-shot. Captain Currie states that it affords excellent coursing,
equalling if not surpassing the same sport with the hare in
England; but Mr. Cunningham says that dogs will seldom attack
it, both on account of some peculiar odour in its flesh which
they dislike, and because the injuries inflicted upon them by
striking out with its feet are frequently very severe. The
settlers even assert that the Emu will break the small bone
of a man’s leg by this sort of kick; to avoid which, well-
trained dogs run up abreast, and make a sudden spring
at the neck, whereby the bird is quickly dispatched. Its
flesh has been compared to coarse beef, which it resembles
both in appearance and taste.” Mr. Jesse says, “The only
instance I have met with in which the hen bird has not the
chief care in hatching and bringing up the young, is in the
case of the Emus, at the farm belonging to the Zoological
Society, near Kingston. A pair of these birds bred five
young ones: the female, at different times, dropped nine
eggs in various places in the pen in which she was confined.
These were collected in one place by the male, who rolled
them gently and carefully along with his beak. He then
sat upon them himself, and continued to do so with the
utmost assiduity, for nine weeks, during which time the
female never took his place, nor was he ever observed to
leave the nest. When the young were hatched, he alone
took charge of them, the female not appearing to notice
them in any way. On reading this anecdote, many persons
May suppose that the female emu is not possessed of that
natural affection for its young which other birds have. In
order to rescue it from this supposition, I will mention that
a female emu belonging to the Duke of Devonshire at
Chiswick, laid some eggs; and as there was no male bird,
she collected them together herself, and sat upon them.”
The Apteryx, the wingless bird of New Zealand, belongs
to this order.