SOME RESULTS OF OSTRKU I N VESTIGATlUiNS. 253 



iiupoitanccr to the practical breeder, there appears no limit to 

 which analysis can be carried.* 



Imi'ortatiox of North African Ostriches. 



Old records reveal that in the early days of the ostrich 

 feather industry, when onl}- wild plumes were exported, the 

 supplies from North Africa realised much better prices than those 

 from South Africa. Hence it is reasonable to suppose that the 

 northern bird produced a pluniage superior to that of the original 

 wild southern l)ird, and that, despite the improvement in the 

 latter, it might still be possible to procure birds giving a better 

 plumage, or which might be of use in still further improving the 

 plumage of the South African. For generations the Arabs and 

 natives of North Africa have kept the ostrich in captivity in small 

 kraals, and ruthlessly plucked its feathers. These are birds 

 which are captured as chicks from the nest of the wild bird, 

 restraint of the wild adult being impossible. Oiicks are never 

 bred in captivity, and the term " ostrich farming " can scarcely 

 be appHed to the crude conditions under which the domesticated 

 bird there exists. Under the circumstances no improvement on 

 tlie northern bird can have been effected as a result of selective 

 breeding. 



These were the chief considerations which determined the 

 Government of the Union of South Africa to despatch, a few 

 years ago, an expedition to North Africa to the area in which it 

 was expected the best types of plumage birds could be procured. 

 The expedition was placed in charge of Mr. R. W. Thornton, 

 and resulted in the importation in 1912 of 132 northern ostriches 

 of different ages from Nigeria. f These were stationed at the 

 Grootfontein School of Agriculture, and the investigations to be 

 conducted with them were placed in charge of the writer. It 

 soon became evident that no one of the imported ostriches was 

 superior to the best birds in South Africa, and that any possible 

 advantage could be gained only by crossing and by encouraging? 

 certain special features, such as strength and density, in which 

 the Nigerian excelled. It would be premature as yet to submit 

 any statement as to the likelihood of success along these lines. 



The experiments have now been in progress over four years, 

 and during the period about a hundred cross-bred chicks have 

 been hatched, as well as a score or so of pure North African 

 chicks ; and at the present time some of the first crosses have 

 reached the age at which they are beginning to breed (PI. 2c). 



* Two preliminary attempts have already been made to analyse the 

 various plume characters of the parents and progeny in cross-matings 

 " P.reedinjT Experiments with North African and South African Ostriches. 

 I. '"The Plumes of Parents and Chicks. 2. "The Plumes of the Second 

 and Third Clippings." Local Series, Nos. 13 and 17, Department of Agri- 

 culture, Union of South Africa (iQi?)- 



t Report on the North African Ostriches imported in Soutli Africa in 

 f9i2." Union of South A-frica, Department of Agriculture, Pretoria, [21 



(K>l6). 



