THESE birds are widely spread over the southern part of New Holland, and the neighbouring islands. They are met with at Port Phillip, and King George's Sound. Their food consists almost wholly of fruits, roots, and herbage; they are quite harmless, except when attacked. The length of the legs, and the powerful muscles in the thighs, enable this bird, like the ostrich, to run very swiftly; and as it is exceedingly shy, it is not easily overtaken, or brought within gun-shot.

It is very like the ostrich in form and habits, but differs from it in some important respects. The feathers with which its body is covered have more the appearance of hair, or rather thin strips of whalebone: its wings are also much shorter, and, as well as the tail, are destitute of those beautiful feathers with which the ostrich is adorned.

The Emu is sometimes coursed for sport, being pursued by well-trained dogs, which run up abreast, and make a sudden spring at the creature's neck. This, however, is a cruel amusement. We have no right to seek our pleasure in a dumb creature's pain. Dogs, in general, are afraid of attacking the Emu, partly on account of the severe injuries which it is able to inflict by striking out with its feet.

The

Some parts of this bird are good for food. eggs are large. Great quantities of them are eaten by the natives of Australia during the hatching season.

There are fine specimens of the Emu in the gardens of the Zoological Society. The following account of the hatching of a brood of young birds of this species is extracted from Jesse's "Gleanings in Natural History:"_

"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 of the Zoological Society, near Kingston. A pair of these birds have now five young ones: the female at different times laid five eggs 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 the space of 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, and has continued to do so ever since."

THE STORK is a bird of the order called Waders. The legs in this class are long, and adapted for wading; while their bills are long and sharp pointed, as if formed for the purpose of searching the bottoms of pools for food.

The Stork, which in some places is tame and familiar, walks about the streets, and is very useful in clearing them of filth: it also removes reptiles from the fields. On account of these qualities it is much valued in Holland; and we find from ancient writers that some nations not only protected them by their laws, but even had a superstitious veneration for them. The Mahommedans hold them in great esteem; and the Egyptians

would look on a person as profane who should kill or hurt one.

There were probably other reasons for the regard with which this bird was treated. It is celebrated for the dutiful attention it pays to its parents, for its kindness to its mate, and for the care it bestows on the education of its offspring. When the young birds begin to flutter out of the nest, the mother bears them on her wings, guards them from danger, and will sometimes perish rather than forsake them. A story is told in Holland, the subject of which is represented in our engraving, namely, that when the city of Delft was on fire, a female Stork in vain attempted several times to carry off her young ones; and finding that she was unable to effect their escape, suffered herself to be burned with them. However this may be, the bird before us has often been referred to as a pattern of those virtues which chiefly promote domestic peace. One of the Roman poets speaks of a temple raised to CONCORD, "where the clamorous Stork is heard.” *

These birds are inhabitants of no particular part of the globe. They are birds of passage, migrate in large flocks, and show great exactness in the time of their departure from Europe to more genial climates. Allusion is made in Holy Scripture to their sagacity in observing times and seasons, as superior to that of thoughtless man, who is so apt to be regardless of the warnings given him: "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming : but my people know not the judgment of the Lord."+

BIRDS of this species are most common in England, France, and Holland. They are found in Russia and Poland; and not only in Europe but in other parts of the world, they being birds of passage.

The common Heron is upwards of three feet in length; and its wings expanded measure about five feet. It does not, however, weigh more than three pounds and a half; and it can therefore mount very high in the air. In winter, when its food is scarce, the bird becomes so thin that it seems to be little else than feathers and bones.

It feeds indiscriminately on all kinds of fish, as well in the sea as in rivers. In seeking its prey, it wades gently into the water, and stands in it up to its knees,