4.94 
gantic birds to leave the plains, 
and then they pursue their course 
together in large flocks to heights, 
where they find themselves more 
commodiously lodged. At the 
time of setting, there are seldom 
more than four or five seen to- 
gether, of which only one is a 
cock, the rest are hens. These 
hens lay their eggs all together 
in the same nest, which is nothing 
more than a round cavity made 
in the clay, of such a size as 
that it can be covered by one of 
the birds when sitting upon it. 
A sort of wall is scraped up round 
with their feet, against which the 
eggs in the outermost circle rest. 
Every egg stands upon its point 
in the nest, that the greatest pos- 
sible number may be stowed with- 
in the space. When ten or twelve 
eggs are laid, they begin to set, 
the hens taking their turns, and re- 
lieving each other during the day: 
at night the cock alone sets, to 
guard the eggs against the jackals 
and wild cats, who will run al- 
most any risk to procure them. 
Great numbers of these smaller 
beasts of prey have often been 
found crushed to death about the 
nests, a proof that the ostrich 
does not fight with them, but 
knows very well how to conquer 
them at once by her own resist- 
less powers; for itis certain that a 
stroke of her large foot trampling 
upon them is enough to crush 
any such animal. 
The hens continue to lay dur- 
ing the time they are setting, and 
that not only until the nest is 
full, which happens when about 
thirty eggs are laid, but for some 
time after. The eggs laid after 
the nest is filled, are deposited 
round about it, and seem design- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1815. 
ed by nature to satisfy the crav- 
ings of the above-mentioned ene- 
mies, since they very much pre- 
fer the new-laid eggs to those 
which have been brooded. But 
they seem also to have a more 
important designation, that is, to 
assist in the nourishment of the 
young birds. These, when first 
hatched, are as large as a common 
pullet, and since their tender 
stomachs cannot digest the hard 
food eaten by the old ones, the 
spare eggs serve as their first 
nourishment. The increase of the 
ostrich race would be incalcu- 
lable, had they not so many 
enemies, by whom great numbers 
of the young are destroyed after 
they quit the nest. 
The ostrich is a very prudent, 
wary animal, who is not easily 
ensnared in the open field, since 
it sees to a very great distance, 
and takes to flight upon the least 
idea of danger. For this reason 
the quaggas generally attach them- 
selves, as it were instinctively, to 
a troop of ostriches, and fly with 
them without the least idea that 
they are followed. Xenophon re- 
lates that the army of Cyrus met 
ostriches and wild asses together 
in the plains of Syria. 
The ostriches are particularly 
careful to conceal if possible the 
places where their nests are made. 
They never go directly to them, 
but run round in a circle ata 
considerable distance before they 
attempt to approach the spot. On 
the contrary, they always run 
directly up to the springs where 
they drink, and the impressions 
they make on the ground in the 
desolate places they inhabit are 
often mistaken for the footsteps 
of men. The females, in setting, 
; 
