THE RHEAS OR AMERICAN OSTRICHES 2333 



In general habits, rheas, although somewhat more gregarious are 

 very similar to ostriches, and as thoroughly adapted for a life on the 

 South-American pampas as are the latter for existence in the* South-African veldt 

 and karroo. As a rule, each cock rhea associates with from five to seven hens, 

 which he carefully guards from the attentions of other members of his* kindred; 

 although after the breeding season such family parties collect in flocks, which 

 may reach a total of sixty or more head. Possessed of a speed but little in- 

 ferior to the ostrich, the rhea is further protected by the exactness with which 

 the general pale bluish-gray hue of its plumage assimilates to the distant haze, thus 

 rendering it invisible even at a moderate distance. Its* large form seems, indeed, 

 as Mr. W. H. Hudson remarks, to melt mysteriously out of sight into the sur- 

 rounding blue, so that the hunter strains his eyes in vain to distinguish it. A truly 

 noble bird when standing among the tall grasses of its native pampas, the cock 

 rhea summons his scattered consorts by a hollow booming cry, probably not unlike 

 that of the ostrich, accompanied by a kind of sighing or hissing sound. When run- 

 ning from their pursuers, both sexes have the curious habit of raising one wing 

 above the back in a sail-like fashion. In hot weather these birds will take readily 

 to the water, not only standing in it with their bodies submerged, but also swim- 

 ming boldly, though slowly, with their necks bent slightly forward and scarcely 

 showing any portion of their bodies. In regard to the breeding habits of the rheas, 

 Darwin writes that ' ' when we were at Bahia Blanca in the months of September 

 and October, the eggs, in extraordinary numbers, were found all over the country. 

 They lie either scattered and single, in which case they are never hatched, and 

 are called by the Spaniards huachos; or they are collected into a shallow excava- 

 tion, which forms the nest. Out of the four nests which I saw, three contained 

 twenty-two eggs each, and the fourth twenty-seven. In one day's hunting on 

 horseback sixty-four eggs were found; forty- four of these were in two nests, and 

 the remaining twenty scattered huachos. The Gauchos unanimously affirm, and 

 there is no reason to doubt their statement, that the male bird alone hatches the 

 eggs, and for some time afterward accompanies the young. The cock when on the 

 nest lies very close; I have myself almost ridden over one. It is asserted that at 

 such times they are occasionally fierce, and even dangerous, and that they have 

 been known to attack a man on horseback, trying to kick and leap on him." The 

 truth of the statement that the cock undertakes the whole work of incubation has 

 been demonstrated not only by observations made upon wild birds, but on captive 

 specimens, which in England have breed freely. In the common-fhea the period of 

 incubation lasts from thirty to thirty-one days; and while in the south the usual 

 number of eggs in a nest is from fifteen to twenty, in the north as many as thirty- 

 two have been observed. 



The rhea, like the guanaco, is hunted with the bolas, one method 

 being for a number of mounted men armed with these implements to 

 inclose, with the aid of the female portion of the tribe, a considerable tract of coun- 

 try, and thus slaughter all the game contained within the circle; while the second, 

 and more sporting plan, is for a single horseman to pursue the bird. In the latter 

 case a horse of great endurance, and endowed with a fair turn of speed, is abso- 



