CHAPTER III 



AN ORNITHOLOGICAL COMEDY OF ERRORS 



tMONG the many proverbial expressions relating to 

 r\ birds, none, perhaps, is more often on the tongue 

 than that which implies that the ostrich has the 

 habit of sticking its head in the sand and regarding itself 

 as thus made invisible. The oldest written authority 

 known to me for this notion is the Historical Library of 

 Diodorus Siculus. Describing Arabia and its products 

 Diodorus writes: 



It produces likewise Beasts of a double nature and mixt 

 Shape; amongst whom are those that are called Strathocameli, 

 who have the Shape both of a Camel and an Ostrich ... so that 

 this creature seems both terrestrial and volatile, a Land-Beast 

 and a Bird: But being not able to fly by reason of the Bulk 

 of her body, she runs upon the Ground as Swift as if she flew 

 in the air ; and when she is pursued by Horsemen with her Feet she 

 hurls the Stones that are under her, and many times kills the 

 Pursuers with the Blows and Strokes they receive. When she 

 is near being taken, she thrusts her Head under a Shrub or 

 some such like Cover; not (as some suppose) through Folly or 

 Blockishness, as if she would not see or be seen by them, but 

 because her head is the tenderest Part of her Body. 109 



It would appear from this that Diodorus was anticipat- 

 ing me by quoting an ancient legend only to show how 

 erroneous it was; but the notion has survived his expla- 

 nation, and supplies a figure of speech most useful to 

 polemic editors and orators, nor does anyone seem to care 

 whether or not it expresses a truth. The only founda- 



