The emu crops herbage like the cow or horse, and possesses great keenness of vision. The flesh is eaten by Europeans, and preferred by some to the kangaroo: the rump part is considered as delicate as fowl; the legs coarse like beef, but still tender: the _fibula_ bone of the leg is used as an ornament by the natives. The best time to hunt these birds is at an early hour in the morning. They are swift of foot; but when once the dogs get up to them, they are speedily overthrown and dispatched. The formation of their nest is simple: they usually select a situation, in a scrub, upon the hills, where a space is scraped similar to those formed by brooding hens; sticks and leaves, which alone form the nest, are left round the cleared place: here the eggs are deposited without regard to regularity, the number varying from nine to thirteen; and it is a curious circumstance, that there is always an odd number; some nests having been discovered with nine, others with eleven, and others again with thirteen. It is now ascertained beyond doubt that the eggs are hatched by incubation. They are of large size, and of a beautiful bluish green colour. Among other extraordinary animals furnished to the naturalists in this interesting country, is the _Echidna_, or “native porcupine,” the Nickobejan and Jannocumbine of the natives. It inhabits mountain ranges, burrowing with extraordinary facility; and at this season (December) produces its young. It forms a link between _Hystrix_ and _Myrmecophaga_, differing but little in external characters from the genera _Manis_ and _Myrmecophaga_; a new genus has been therefore formed for it—_Echidna_, in the order _Edentata_, tribe _Monotrema_. It was named _Myrmecophaga aculeata_, by Shaw; at the same time that he considered the external character sufficiently distinct to place it in a new genus. He thus correctly describes the animal. “The whole upper parts of the body and tail are thickly coated with strong and sharp spines. The snout is long and tubular, having only a small _rictus_, or opening, at the tip, from whence is protruded a long, lumbriciform tongue, as in other ant-eaters. The nostrils are small, and seated at the extremity of the snout: the eyes are small and black, with a pale blue iris. It burrows with great strength and celerity under ground when disturbed; it will even burrow under a pretty strong pavement, removing the stones with its claws, or under the bottom of a wall. During these exertions, its body is stretched or lengthened to an uncommon degree, and appears very different from the short or plump aspect which it bears in its undisturbed state.”