937 



STRUTHIONID^E. 



STKUTHIONIDyE. 



938 



is separated from the lungs by the interposition of a series of small 

 but well-marked air-cells. No thoracic serous sac or pleura could 

 be traced. " Thus," says Professor Owen, " although the respiratory 

 organs are confined to the chest, and the Apteryx offers the only 

 known instance in the feathered race of a species in which the reoep- 

 tacular part of the lungs is not continued into the abdomen, yet the 

 Struthious type is strictly preserved, and the march of development 

 has only been restricted, not changed." 



The brain and nervous system appear to be, generally speaking, 

 well developed in the Struthious Birds. 



The senses of Touch, Taste, Smell, and Hearing are well developed. 



The Eye is well formed, and the Sight piercing in the Struthionidce 

 generally ; but, in the Apteryr, the eye has less development than 

 appears in the rest of the family, the reasons for which are above 

 assigned. It presents a remarkable deviation from the construction 

 characteristic of birds generally, in the total absence of the pecten 

 or marsupium, a privation compatible with the nocturnal habits and 

 restricted locomotion of this species. " The eyeball," says Professor 

 Owen, "is relatively much smaller than in other birds; its antero- 

 posterior diameter is three lines ; its transverse diameter four lines. 

 The cornea transparens is very convex, and two lines in diameter. 

 The sclerotic is thin, but the margin supporting the cornea is 

 strengthened by a circle of small osseous plates. The choroid is a 

 delicate membrane ; its pigment is of a light brown colour. The 

 ciliary processes commence at the ciliary ring, each process having at 

 its origin a slight linear rising, which becomes gradually wavy and 

 tortuous as it approaches the lens, anterior to the circumference of 

 which it projects freely to a small extent. The iris in the specimen 

 examined was one-third of a line in breadth. The optic nerve ter- 

 minates by a small round aperture. The lens is two lines in breadth, 

 and nearly one Hue at the thickest part, being thus more convex 

 than in other birds. The external appendages of the eye presented 

 no peculiarities, except the very great strength of the orbicularis 

 palpebrarum ; the membrana nictitans had the usual trochlear 

 muscles : its free margin was black." 



The place assigned to the Struthious Birds by zoologists generally 

 will be found in the articles BIRDS and GRALL.E. The position of the 

 Dodo in this family is doubtful [Dooo.] 



Mr. G. R. Gray makes the Struthionidce the first family of the order 

 C'uriorcs, Temm., the sixth order in Mr. Gray's arrangement, and 

 includes under it the following sub-families and genera : 



Sub-Family 1. Struthionida. 

 Genera: Struthio, Linn.; Caiuariut, Briss.; Dromaiua, Vieill. ; 

 and Rliea, Brisg. 



Sub-Family 2. Aptei-ygina. 

 Genus : Apteryx, Shaw. 



Sub-Family 3. Didince (1). 

 Genus : J)idu3, Linn. 



Sub-Family 4. Otincc. 



Genera : Otii, Linn. ; Tetrax, Leach ; Syp/ieotipet, Less. ; Cldamy 

 dotit. Less. ; and Eupodotii, Less. 



The Mrulliioiiidir. are placed in Mr. Gray's arrangement between the 

 Tinamidir, the last family of his Jiaeores, and the t'haradriadie the 

 first family of his Grullatores. 



Amongst the Mammalia the Martupiata make the nearest approxi 

 mation to the Oiripara ; and amongst the birds the Strutkianidce 

 approach the most closely to the Mammals and the Reptiles. 



This approximation of the Struthious Birds to the Mammalia 

 especially cannot fail to strike the physiologist. In the first anc 

 typical genus, Strutkio, it is strongly manifested. 



Struthio (Linn.). Bill moderate, obtuse, straight, depressed at th 

 point, which is rounded and unguiculate ; mandibles equal anc 

 flexible ; nasal fossae longitudinal, prolonged half way down the bill 

 open. Feet very robust ; toes two only, stout and strong, directec 

 forwards, and connected at their base by a strong membrane, the 

 internal toe considerably larger than the external, and furnished with 

 a thick and hoof-like claw, external toe clawleas. Wings useless fo 

 flight, furnished with long soft undulating plumes, and armed witl 

 two spurs, or rather two plumeless shafts, not unlike a porcupine' 

 quill. Head and upper half of the neck scantily covered with a thin 

 down, through which the colour of the skin is visible. There is bu 

 one species, the >S'. Camelui. 



It would be a needless occupation of space to give a minute des 

 cription of a bird which in so well known in these days of zoologica 

 societies and menageries. The Ostrich is generally understood to be th 

 bird designated by the terms Joneh, or Jaanah, and Rinonim, in th 

 Scriptu-es(Levit., xi. 19; Deut., xiv. 15 ; Job, xxx. 29; IsaL.xiii. 21 

 xxxiv. 13; xliii. 20; Jer., 1.39; Lament., iv. 3; Mic., i. 8; Job 

 xxxix. 13). In many of these passages, Jer., 1. 39, and Isai., fo 

 instance, our version reads ' Owls,' and in Levit. does not mentio 

 the Ostrich, but the general opinion seems to be iu favour of th 

 Ostrich being intended. It is the Neamah of the Arabs, Tha 

 Kdsjanmel (Camel-Bird) of the Orientals, Ttrpovtoiidp&ai of th 

 Greek*, RtrMhiocamdiu of Pliny and the Romans, Struzzo an 

 Struz/.olo of the Italians, Strauss of the Germans, Autruche of th 

 French. 



Head and Foot of Ostrich. 



The approximation iu the digestive organs of the Ostrich to the 

 itructure of some of these parts in the Ruminantia, especially in the 

 additional ventricle of the bird, is still further strengthened by the 

 lisulcous foot, which may not be inaptly compared to that of the 

 camel, and probably led in no small degree to its appellation of 

 Darnel-Bird, to which, moreover, its height, lengthened neck, habit 

 of frequenting the desert, and patience under thirst may have 

 contributed. 



The food of the ostrich consists of vegetable substances only, but 

 seeds and grain appear to be preferred, and it is consequently a most 

 unwelcome neighbour to the cultivator of the soil, on whose crops 

 the bird commits great devastation. Its iron-eating propensities have 

 long been celebrated, and indeed it picks up and swallows any mineral 

 substance, metallic or not, with indiscrimiuating voracity. Nor is 

 this propensity confined to the devouring of minerals ; for leather, 

 hair, cordage, and wood do not seem to come amiss. In the stomach 

 of one of these birds Valisnieri found a farrago of grass, nuts, cords, 

 stones, glass, brass, iron, tin, copper, lead, wood, and among the 

 stones one weighing more than a pound. 



Perrault took from an ostrich's stomach 70 doubles, the greater 

 part of which were worn down three-fourths of their substance by 

 collision against each other or the pebbles found with them : those 

 which were bent were worn and polished on the convex side, while 

 they remained entire on the concave surface. These copper pieces 

 had tinged everything in the stomach with green. This eagerness for 

 picking up everything, whether or not it can be assimilated or can 

 assist :n the grinding down of the food by the action of the stomach, 

 to which no doubt the polishing and wasting of the pieces of money 

 mentioned by Perrault were due, is often fatal to the Ostrich. Too 

 great a quantity of copper or iron thus taken into the stomach has 

 caused the death of the bird. Valisuieri saw one killed by swallowing 

 a quantity of quick-lime ; and one kept in the gardens of the Zoological 

 Society of London was first deformed and afterwards died from 

 swallowing part of a parasol. Some of the heterogeneous contents 

 found in the stomachs of these birds are preserved in the Museum 

 of the Royal College of Surgeons. 



Their speed is great. The swiftest grayhound cannot overtake 

 them ; and even the Arabian and his horse are obliged to have recourse 

 to cunning as well as speed to close the chase, by throwing a stick 

 dexterously between its legs, or otherwise to disable it. In its flight 

 it spurns the pebbles behind it like shot against the pursuer. Nor is 

 this its only mode of annoyance. Dr. Shaw, who gives a pretty 

 account of the airs which the Ostrich plays off in a domesticated 

 state, fanning itself with its expanded wings, and seeming to admire 

 its own shadow, states, that though tame and tractable to those 

 familiar with them, these birds were often very fierce to strangers, 

 especially those of the poorer sort, whom they would try to run 

 down and attack with their feet. They arc capable of striking with 

 great force, aud the same author gives a melancholy account of a 

 person whose belly was ripped up by a stroke from the pointed and 

 angular claw. The European sportsman, after riding so that the bird 

 shall pass within shot, dismounts and brings it down with the rifle. 



The strength of the Ostrich is great. Adanson mentions the 

 rapidity with which a large tame one ran, first under the weight of 

 two little blacks, and afterwards under two full-grown negroes, while 

 a smaller bird carried with equal facility one full-grown negro. 



