EMEU

or EMU, a large flightle Tunning bird (Dromeus nove-hollandie and D. irroratus), formerly dispersed over the whole Australian continent, but now almost extinct in many districts. It is allied to the ca owary, but is distinguished by the absence of a ‘helmet’ on the top of the head. It nearly equals the ostrich in bulk, being thicker in the body, though its legs and meck are shorter. Its feet are three-toed (the ostrich has two toes), and its feathers, which are double, are of a dull seotybrown colour, those about the neck and head being of a hairy texture. The wings are small and usele for flight, but the bird can run with great speed. The flesh of the young emeu is by some considered a delicacy. 144 EMEU WREN The emeu is a bird of the plain, the ca owary of the forest. It is easily tamed, and may be kept out of doors in temperate climates. It feeds on vegetable matter, fruits, and roots.