282 LOST AND VANISHING BIRDS 



about twenty eggs in a large hollow in the ground, 

 and there the cock bird incubates. South America, 

 we now know, during remote ages was roamed by 

 many enormous flightless birds. The Rheas are the 

 only survivors of this distant past, and it is to be 

 hoped that steps will be taken, and that quickly, 

 for their efficient preservation. 



