The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-06-05
HUMAN INCUBATORS,
How Some Emu Eggs Were Saved aud Som,
Hens Eggs Were Ea;ched.


How Some Emu Eggs Were Saved and Some
Hens Eggs Were Haiched.
Among the latest acquisitions of the Or
astrological department in the museum of
natural history at South kensington is
very handsome emu in perfect plumage,
presented by the Rev. George Keightley,
vicar of Stambridge, in Essex, to whom the
museum was already indebted for another
fine specimen of these strange Australian
birds. Both had been pets for upward of
% years, says Miss Gordon Cumming in the
columns of contemporary, having been
brought from the antipodes, and their sue
| cessve deaths have been somewhat in the
nature of family bereavements The first
died from natural causes, but the last was
| due to an unfortunate accident, some bull
| locks having broken into the emu's paddock
and chased him, even following him into
his shed. The poor bird probably died
partly from terror. The emu is naturally
very timid, and this one was almost blind,
as one eye had been destroyed by a clod of
earth thrown at him by a carter, who de,
clared that the emu's approach frightened
his horses The other eye suffered in sym.
pathy.
A 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 a daily jar
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 Mr., Emu retired into his shed,
folded up his long legs and sat down, ut
tprlV rptuSinU n till his m Ster
convinced that the bright sunshine would
do him good, lifted him out by main force
There, beneath the bird, were all the miss
ing gallipots!
The conscientious emu, convinced that
he ought TO 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
| haveI So he made the most of what he
could get.
An amusing story is told concerning a
setting of six or seven emu's eggs laid in
Berkshire. The father, having set C'iligent-
ly for six weeks, unfortunately died just a
week before the chicks were Matched. Ar
rangements were made by telegraph for the
transfer of the eggs to the care of another
emu in the geological gardens in London,
but there was grave anxiety lest they should
cool in the interval ere the foster father was
ready to receive them. AS no patent incu-
bator was available suitable for such huge
eggs-they are about the size Of an os-
trich's-an enthusiastic lady took them
into her nice warm bed, and there re
manned, mothering them till the last mo
ment before the train started which con
veyed them to the ZOO, where they were
duly matched a few days later.
That lady's devotion reminds me of what
was told me by another lady, who when re
Gently travelling in the south Of France,
halted at IA farm where the careful peasani
wife thus utilized her fat, bedridden hus
band. who was so unwieidy as to DE unable
to turn in bed. By alternate scolding and
coaxing she persuaded him TO do duty as an
incubator md to lie very STILL Matching
eggs for market by the natural warmth OF
his body So there he lay with half a dozen
eggs under each arm, afraid to make the
slightest movement, and thus he had actu-
ally succeeded in Matching several coveys
an achievement of which he was half
proud and half shyl OF course, in this case
the eggs were those of common domestic
fowls.-Manchester Times,