198 THE BIRD WATCHER 
their common practicévhen approached—lI, at least, 
have found it so—whilst the young ones, according 
to Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, as invariably crouch. The 
question is if the latter, when of a respectable size, 
are not sometimes mistaken for the fully-grown birds, 
for certainly none of these have ever allowed me to 
come close up to them as they lay crouched, like 
a pheasant, revealing their presence, at last, only by 
the bright golden eye, as they are said to do. It is 
this element of confusion, in my opinion, together 
with the fact that it is “a ratite bird,” and therefore 
ought to act like one, which has caused that strange 
scientific delusion in regard to the domestic habits of 
the ostrich ; a delusion which, it seems, is destined to 
endure till some one or other of the learned persons 
responsible for it happens to be living on an ostrich- 
farm, instead of in a museum or a class-room, since 
the statements of those who have, or have had, that 
advantage are not regarded by them. No, no! the 
ostrich is ‘a ratite bird,” and the scientific exigencies 
of such a position require it to do what it doesn’t 
do. In regard to the above crouching habit, it may 
conceivably relate to an antecedent period in the life 
of the various species which, in their young days, 
practise it, during which they may have been flightless, 
though perhaps at a still earlier period they flew as 
well as, or better than, they do now. Doubtless, the 
ostrich once flew—so much of truth is contained in 
the Arab fable—and were any gradual change in the 
character of the countries it inhabits to render swift 
running less practicable whilst, at the same time, its 
