142 OSTRICH-FARMING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



leaves, and the bird for some time after fed on soft 

 green food. 



Sometimes a whole lot of birds when herded will be 

 taken violently ill from eating some poisonous plant. 

 Thev will be observed stretching: their necks, fallino; 

 about, lying down and getting up again. Heavy losses 

 have occurred through this, principally with middling- 

 sized chicks. They should at once have a dose of some 

 ounces of Epsom salts, according to their size. The 

 Dutch are great believers in a very strong decoction of 

 coffee and chicory, and, I have heard, with very bene- 

 ficial effect. 



Of diseases of the kidneys little is known. That 

 they are subject to being affected is evident, from the 

 bird's urine when it is out of sorts becoming small in 

 quantity and very thick, as though lime had been 

 mixed with it. A dose of an ounce of turpentine will 

 generally put it to rights. A remarkable feature about 

 the urine of ostriches is, that at times, generally in the 

 spring, it becomes quite red. I have never heard any 

 explanation of this, and from it occurring in birds to all 

 appearance in good health, it need not alarm the young 

 farmer, as it probably would do if he was to observe 

 it in his birds without having previously heard of it. 



Young birds often get a disease in the muscles of 

 the legs, ascribed by some to rheumatism, but, I believe, 



