1804. `Rev. R. Knopwood's Diary' (J. J. Shillinglaw-- `Historical Records of Port Phillip,' 1879), p. 115:
[At the Derwent] 26 March, 1804--"They caught six young emews [sic], about the size of a turkey, and shot the old mother."
1832. J. Bischof, `Van Diemen's Land,' p. 165:
"We saw an emu track down the side of a hill."
1846. J. L. Stokes, `Discovery in Australia,' vol. i. c. ix.
p.276
"The face of the emu bears a most remarkable likeness to that of the aborigines of New South Wales."
1846. C. P. Hodgson, `Reminiscences of Australia,' p. 160:
"They will pick up anything, thimbles, reels of cotton, nails, bullets indiscriminately: and thus the proverb of `having the digestion of an emu' has its origin."
1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. vi. pl. I:
"Dromaius Novae Hollandiae. The Emu. New Holland Cassowary.--'Governor Phillips' Voyage, 1789.'"
1850. J. B. Clutterbuck, `Port Phillip in 1849,' p. 42:
"The emu strides with such rapidity over the plains as to render its capture very difficult even by the swiftest greyhound."
1872. C. H. Eden, "My Wife and I in Queensland,' p. 52:
"A couple of grave-looking emus. These wobble away at an ungainly but rapid pace directly they sight us, most probably vainly pursued by the dray dogs which join us farther on, weary and unsuccessful--indeed the swiftest dog finds an emu as much as he can manage."
1878. A. Newton, in `Encyclopedia Britannica' (9th edit.), vol. viii. p. 173:
"Next to the ostrich the largest of existing birds, the common emeu..."
1881. A.C. Grant, `Bush Life in Queensland,' vol. i. p. 210:
"... points out two emus to John... . They resemble ostriches, but are not so large, and the tail droops more.
... John can distinguish every point about them, from their black cast-iron looking legs, to the bare neck and small head, with its bright eye and strong flat beak."
1890. `Victorian Statutes--Game Act, Third Schedule':
"Emu. [Close Season.] From the 14th day of June to the 20th day of December following in each year."
1893. `The Argus,' March 25,p. 4, col. 5:
"The chief in size is the egg of the cassowary, exactly like that of the emu except that the colour is pale moss green instead of the dark green of the emu."
1875. T. Laslett, `Timber and Timber Trees,' p. 206:
"Emu-tree. A small Tasmanian tree; found on low marshy ground used for turners' work."
1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 317:
"Emu-bush. Owing to emus feeding on the seeds of this and other species. Heterodendron oleaefolium, Desf."
Ibid. p. 132:
"The seeds, which are dry, are eaten by emus."
1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. iii. pl. 31:
"Stipituras Malachurus, Less. Emu Wren. The decomposed or loose structure of these [tail] feathers, much resembling those of the emu, has suggested the colonial name of Emu-Wren for this species, an appellation singularly appropriate, inasmuch as it at once indicates the kind of plumage with which the bird is clothed, and the Wren-like nature of its habits."
1860. G. Bennett, `Gatherings of a Naturalist,' p. 213:
"The delicate little emeu wren."
1865. Lady Barker (letter from `Melbourne), `Station Life in New Zealand,' p. 8:
"Then there is the emu-wren, all sad-coloured, but quaint, with the tail-feathers sticking up on end, and exactly like those of an emu, on the very smallest scale, even to the peculiarity of two feathers growing out of the same little quill."
'aeows, dawn, and psaltria, a female harper.)
From Greek 'epi, upon, and 'akron, top (the flowers grow in spikes at the top of the plant).
In Australia they are frequently confused with and called Ericas.
For species see quotation, 1848. A fourth species has been discovered since Gould's day, E. crocea, Castln. and Ramsay, which inhabits Northern Australia. The name was first given by Gould, in the `Proceedings of the Zoological Society of 1837,' p. 148, as a genus novum. The origin of the word is not certain, but as the tail is unusually small, it is suggested that the name is from the Greek 'oura, tail, and Homeric imperfect 3rd person sing. 'ephthien, wasted away, from phthiow (= phthinow).
[The word occurs Iliad xviii. 446.]
//phthio is ONLY in Homer!! Iliad AND Odyssey GJC//
1848. J. Gould,' Birds of Australia,' vol. iii. pl. 64:
"Ephthianura Albifrons, White-fronted Ephthianura,"
pl. 65. "Aurifrons, Gould, Orange-fronted E.," pl. 66.
"Tricolor, Gould, Tricoloured E.'"
1890. `Victorian Statutes--Game Act, Third Schedule':
"Close season.--Ephthianuras. The whole year."
Escaper is the historical English form. (See Bible, 2 Kings ix. 15, margin.) //He means, of course, the so-called Authorised Version" which reads, ftn. 5: "let no escaper go, etc." Even though the Revised Version was published in 1885. GJC//