A KARROO FARM. 255 



ground, thrust up its head slightly backwards, set 

 up its tail, and then, flapping its wings, utter a 

 monotonous groaning chant ; this challenge to 

 mortal combat would be repeated over and over 

 a^ain. At first it was imagined that the ostriches 



o 



were in convulsions or attacked by fits, but this 

 idea soon faded as the birds persistently got to 

 their feet again, assumed the defensive and 

 displayed their fighting powers. 



Another singularity about this bird is, that a cock, 

 which has been dangerously pugnacious in its own 

 camp, will, when removed elsewhere, invariably prove 

 as quiet and submissive as the proverbial lamb. One 

 other point. It is commonly thought that ostriches are 

 monogamous ; as a fact, they are only monogamous 

 so far as the hatching-out is concerned. A number 

 of hens lay their eggs in one nest ; but the strongest 

 hen then takes possession, and with the help of 

 the cock, performs the hatching-out process. The 

 younger and weaker hens often attempt to satisfy 

 their " broody " instinct, by sitting religiously upon 

 the bare sand as near the nest as possible. 



Again, it has been thought that a certain number 

 of the eggs are rolled out of the nest, and broken by 

 the old birds to serve as food for the chicks as they 

 hatch out. In reality, all those eggs that the sitting 

 bird cannot properly cover and hatch are rolled out, 

 and are then broken and devoured by jackals and 

 other vermin. Nature's unerring instinct tells the 

 birds that it is useless to retain in their nest eggs 

 that cannot be hatched, and the encumbrances are 

 at once got rid of. 



At the present time, wild birds, from being strictly 

 preserved, are much more plentiful ; and, indeed, 



