CHAPTER XXIII. 



CAPONISING. 



Before considering the practicability or otherwise of 

 emasculating the males, we should first clearly under- 

 stand what objects are sought to be obtained. 



Every farmer is aw^are of the great fact that like 

 begets like, and consequently if an inferior-shaped, or 

 organically faulty, or inferior-feathered bird is allowed 

 to breed, its progeny w^ill partake, in a greater or less 

 degree, of the faults of the parent. Now, in a state of 

 nature, the male Ostrich that is faulty in any of these 

 points can get very little chance of breeding. If mus- 

 culai'ly weak, he will be driven away by the stronger 

 birds ; if w^eaker than his compeers in any vital organ, 

 he wdll probably ere he arrives at the age of puberty 

 have fallen a victim to the carnivora ; whilst if inferior 

 in plumage, his chance, as compared with better- 

 favoured birds, of attracting the hens to mate with him 

 will be lessened. That this latter statement is true, 

 and that it has considerable bearing on maintaining the 

 quality of the plumage, few farmers can doubt who 

 have watched the male bird disporting himself with 



