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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



produced by exposure of the blood to a 

 vacuum for many hours. A second series 

 of experiments was to determine the in- 

 fluence of time on poisonous material. 

 When the putrefied blood was kept so 

 long that no living bodies could be discov- 

 ered in it by microscopical examination, 

 the same toxic effects were produced by 

 its injection, but were less intense. Pu- 

 trefied blood was then dried by slow expos- 

 ure to the air, powdered, mixed with dis- 

 tilled water, and injected. The effects were 

 not, as in the other cases, immediately mani- 

 fest. After four to six days of incubation, 

 the animals became ill ; some died, others 

 recovered. M. Feltz concludes that, as ex- 

 posure to a vacuum and desiccation did not 

 remove the toxic agent, it cannot be a gas ; 

 that activity on the part of the minute mov- 

 ing particles within it is not necessary for 

 its septic effect ; and that the development 

 of bacteria, etc., in the blood of the animals 

 injected, points to the germs of those bacte- 

 ria as being the probable efficient means of 

 the production of the poisonous effects. 



Ostrich-Farming. Ostrich-farming has 

 within the past few years attained a remark- 

 able development in South Africa. We pre- 

 sent to our readers a few notes upon this 

 new industry, taken from an address by Mr. 

 P. L. Simmonds before the London Society 

 of Arts. The climate in all parts of the 

 Cape Colony is said to be alike favorable 

 to the growth and production of the ostrich, 

 and there are but few districts of the colony 

 where this industry is not carried on. Mr. 

 A. Douglas, of Hilton, appears to have been 

 the first systematic breeder of ostriches in 

 the Cape Colony. About eight years ago 

 he bought a pair of birds, and subsequently 

 added four more, making in all two cocks 

 and four hens. By means of an incubator 

 he succeeded in raising from these six birds 

 130 young ostriches in one season. The 

 ostrich-farm of Mr. Kinncar, of West Beau- 

 fort, consists of eight acres of land, inclosed 

 with fences. In this inclosure, which is 

 sown with lucern, thirty ostriches are kept. 

 There are two methods of obtaining the 

 feathers, plucking them, and cutting them a 

 little above the roots, which are removed 

 two months afterward. Mr. Kinnear pre- 

 fers the latter mode. The first plucking 



takes place when the bird is about eight 

 months old, but the feathers are then not 

 of much value. The operation is renewed 

 every eight months. Three pluckings of 

 birds in full plumage realized to Mr. Kin- 

 near 240, or 120 per annum, that is, 8 

 per bird. 



In the wild state, five female ostriches 

 are often attached to one male, and they all 

 lay their eggs in one nest, and sit on them 

 in turn. Mr. Kinnear, however, only assigns 

 one female to each male. They are coupled 

 in July (the second month of winter), and 

 commence laying in August, and continue 

 laying for about six weeks, after which they 

 sit till October. A month or six weeks 

 later, they recommence to lay for about five 

 weeks, provided the young brood are re- 

 moved. In forming the nest a large hole 

 scraped in the sand the male bird is most 

 assiduous, and when all is ready the laying 

 of the eggs commences. From fifteen to 

 twenty eggs are laid and carefully arranged 

 in the nest. The male bird usually sits by 

 night, the female morning and evening ; in 

 the wild state the birds frequently leave the 

 nest untended during the heat of the day. 



Ostriches are, comparatively, inexpen- 

 sive to keep, as during three-fourths of the 

 year they require only a little artificial food, 

 the grass produced on the farm being nearly 

 sufficient for their maintenance ; during the 

 remaining fourth, they only need some sup- 

 plemental supplies of green food, with a 

 little Indian-corn. Each ostrich eats about 

 twenty pounds of lucern a day. 



Culture of the Cochineal Cactus. The 

 culture of the cochineal cactus was intro- 

 duced into the Canary Islands in 1840. 

 This plant, as indicated by its name, is the 

 favorite food of the cochineal insect, whose 

 body furnishes the well-known dyestuff 

 cochineal. The culture developed rapidly, 

 still for some years the supply of cochineal 

 fell short of the demand. In 1848 prices 

 varied from eleven to twelve francs per 

 pound Spanish, the cost of production not 

 exceeding 25 per cent, of this sum. A 

 " cochineal mania " was the result, and all 

 other crops had to give way before cochi- 

 neal. Prices began to fall under the in- 

 fluence of this excessive production, and 

 from 1860 to 1870 the cochineal sold for 



