84 NATUIIM. HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



five iihalangcs, the latter Iteiiig clawKss, thus showini; a temlency to hecome finally re- 

 ilui-ed, ii8 in the Solijieds aiiiuiig the inaiiiinals ; the true ostrich, furthermore, is ehar- 

 aoterized by an external tail ; by the niaxillo-]>alatines articulating with facets on the 

 siiles of the vomer; by the ]iulies uniting in a ventral symiihysis, while the ischia are 

 free; by having two carotiils, besides several other featui'es. 



The " camel bird," the " i)ride of the desert," is represented in Africa by three 

 fonns or speeies, the well-known SlnUhlo caiiic/us, Iie.sides the more recently described 

 <S'. aiiitriili:!, from South Africa, and A', nwli/hilojiliuiics fron> Somali-land, though the 

 status of the two last ones is yet somewliat doubtful. An ostrich is also known to 

 occur in the deserts adjoining Palestine and the countries of the Euphrates valley, and 

 is also said to inhabit Arabia ]iro|ier. That it has always been called »V. cainclus does 

 not prove that it is the same K|)ecies as that of Western Africa, since the two other 

 forms of that continent, until a few years ago, v.'cre confounded with it under the 

 same name; it is rather |)robable that the Asiatic bird is sei>arable. The differences, 

 liowever, are slight and only visible to the ex]ierl. For our j>urpose it suffices to 

 describe the aj>)>earance of the ostrich in general. The head, neck, and legs are 

 naked, only covered by a sparse down ; the male has black feathers on the bod)', those 

 of the wing rmd tail being white and of the greatest value; the fi^male is plainer 

 colored, brownish gray, and the young birds, when two months old, are similar; the 

 chick is covered all over with a light-colored s))iny down, with longitudinal blackish 

 stripes. The full adult plumage is assmned at the third year. The adult male slan<ls 

 about seven feet high, and weigh;: from one humlred and fifty to two hundred ])ounds. 

 In habits the ilifferent foiTus may be nearly identical, and wh.it trustworthy travelers 

 have related of one species is ]irol)able ap])licable to the others. 



The ostrich has, from ohlcn time, been regarded as an exceedingly stupid bird, 

 — we all remember the tale of the ostrich believing himself concealed when putting 

 liis head behind a stone so he could not see his enemy, — and Alfred Urelim has em- 

 phatically expressed the same opinion, though other observers attribute its shyness and 

 timidity to a certain degree of intelligence. In ca|(tivity it soon becomes tame, and is 

 said to be (piite gentle, but is easily frightened so as to run insanely about in its 

 indosure; during the breeding season the old male is usually quite savage, and attacks 

 even man, iiiHictiiig sometimes dangerous injuries by kicking. 



Timid and of rather solit.ary tastes, the ostrich lives in small Hocks, relying ujion 

 their extraordinarily acute sight and their fleetness of foot for safety, often in the 

 neighborhood of the still more w.ary henls of wiM zebras. They feed upon the low 

 grass anil herb.s, when in the wild slate, an<l oc<':isionally some insects, a few re|>tiles 

 or the like are picked tip; but it is only in confinement that the ostrich |>rovcs liim- 

 self that voracious omnivorous animal that has made the ostrich stomach almost 

 ])roverbial. 



.Judging from the scanty information of travelers as to the voice of the ostrich, 

 we may infer that, usually, it is a rather silent bird, though occasionally making good 

 use of its rather imperfect syrinx, as seems evident from Livingstone's statement, tliat 

 it is freipiently difficult to dislinguivh its bellowing from the roarini,' of the lion. 



In oriler to illustrate certain h.-ibits, and the manner in which they are hunlc<l in 

 North Africa, we transcribe the following from Rev. Mr. Tristram's spirited account 

 of his experiences in that part of the world: — 



"The cajitnre of the ostrich is the greatest feat of hunting to which the Arab 

 sjiortsman aspires, and in richness of booty it ranks next to the plunder of a caravan. 



