The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-05
HUMAN INcuRAToRs.


HOW Some Emu Eggs Were Saved and Som
i Hens Eggs Were Hatched.
Among the latest acquisitions of the ar
Astrological department in the museum o
natural history at South Kensin2ton is
very handsome emu in perfect plumage
presented by the Rev. George Keightley
vicar OF Stambridge, in Essex, to whom tn,
museum was already indebted for another
Ine specimen of these strange Australian
/ birds. Both had been pets for upward O
20 years. says Miss Gordon Cumming in til,
columns o contemporary, having beer
brought from the antipodes, and their sue
/ cesslVe deaths have been somewhat in tn,
nature or family bereayements. The first
| uled from natural causes, but the last wa,
que TO an unfortunate accident, some bull
locks having broken into the emu's paddock
and chased him, even following him into
ms shed. The poor bird probably died
partly from terror. The emu is naturally
very tlmid. and this one was almost blind
as one eye had been destroyed by clod OF
| earth thrown at him by carter, who de.
eiared That the emu's approach frightened
nus horses' The other eye suffered in sym.
pathy.
| curious incident in the life Of this
lonely bird is worth recording. The death
OF his companion left him very disconso
late, and after awhile he seemed to sicken,
HIS compassionate mistress brought dain.
ties to tempt his appetite, also daily ian
OF water. Again and again she remon.
strated against some tiresome or cruel I'm.
known PERSON who always carried off the
Jar, leaving the poor bird without water.
FINALLY MI. Emu retired into his shed
folded up his long legs and sat down, ut.
terly refusing to come out till his master,
convinced that the bright sunshine would
do him good, lifted him out by main force.
There, beneath the bird, were all the miss.
ing gallipotsl
The conscientious emu, convinced that
he ought 10 be fulfilling his destiny by
Matching some eggs, and having no wife to
lay any for him, had substituted the nice
smooth, round jars which he had distracted
day by day. of course his wife's eggs
would have been dark green, but, as the
French philosopher said, when We have
not what we like, we must like what we
navel! So he made the most of what he
could get.
An amusing story IL old concerning a
setting OF siX or seven emu's eggs laid in.
berkshire. The father, having set 6iligent-
~ Tor SIX weeks, unfortunately died just a
week before the chicks were Matched. Ar
raigements were made by telegraph for theI
transfer OF the eggs to the care of another
emu IN the geological gardens in London.
Dnt there NY as grave anxiety lest they should
cool in the interval ere the foster father VINO
ready to receive them. AS no patent incu-i
pator was available suitable for such huge
esEs-they are about the size of an os-
trlch san enthusiastic lady took them
INTO her rice warm bed, and there re I
manned, mbthering them till the last mo-
meht betofe the train started which con-.
Veyed THEN to the ZOO, where they were
duly Matched few DAYS later
That lady's devotion reminds me of what
was told me by another lady, who when re- 4
cently travelling in the south of France,
matted at a farm where the careful peasant
%ite thus utilized her fat, bedridden hus-l
oahd, who was so unwieldy MS to be unable
TO turn In led. By alternate scolding and
coaxing she persuaded him TODD duty as an
incubator and to lie very still, Matching
eggs Tor market by the natural warmth of /
MS bodyi 10 there he lay with half dozen
eggs under each arm. afraid 10 MAKE tba
slightest movement, and thus he had actu-
ally succeeded in Matching several coveys
IN achievement OF which he was half
proud and bali shyi OF course, in this cas-.
the eggs were those of common domestic
toWls.-Ma nchoster Times.