STRUTHIONID^E. 253 



described, and which the Namaquas pursue with con- 

 siderable success. A troop of Ostriches being espied, a 

 number of men unite and surround them ; but the in- 

 terval between the hunters is great, the cordon being 

 drawn at such a distance beyond the birds (in fact 

 out of their sight) as not to arouse their suspicions. 

 When a sufficient time has been allowed to enable the 

 hunters to complete the circle, a general advance is 

 commenced, the men taking care not to appear to 

 direct their attentions to the birds, but merely showing 

 themselves in such a manner as to force them to 

 give way. 



As a matter of course the Ostriches make off from the 

 supposed danger, but only to encounter a fresh one, 

 and thus rapidly become exhausted by a constant 

 flight from one human being to another, whilst the 

 hunters, as soon as they perceive that the chances of 

 escape for the Ostriches are at an end, take care to 

 keep them moving at a rapid pace by shouting, yelling, 

 and gesticulating violently. A very short time usually 

 suffices to bring the exciting scene to a close by a 

 general slaughter of the entrapped birds; and with 

 experienced hunters this plan rarely fails to ensure 

 success. The same people employ another method 

 with even greater success : a whole tribe will join, 

 mounted if possible on horseback ; and the locality to 

 be " drawn " having been decided on, the body of the 

 horsemen station themselves across some pass, defile, or 

 narrow part of a plain ; whilst a few are dispatched in 

 search of the Ostriches, and, on their way, station a 



