The Ostrich. 339 



Her labour is in vain ; without fear, because God hath 

 deprived her of wisdom ; neither has he imparted to her 

 understanding. What time she lifteth up her head on 

 high, she scorneth the horse and his rider." It appears, 

 however, that the female Ostrich sits upon her eggs 

 like other birds, although generally at night only, and 

 brings up her young. The eggs are as large as a young 

 child's head, with a hard stony shell, and one has been 

 known to weigh upwards of three pounds, The time ot 

 incubation is six weeks. That Ostriches have great 

 affection for their offspring may be inferred from the 

 assertion of Professor Thunberg, who says that he once 

 rode past the place where a hen Ostrich was sitting in 

 her nest, when the bird sprang up and pursued him, 

 evidently with a view to prevent his noticing her eggs 

 or young. Every time he turned his horse towards her 

 she retreated ten or twelve paces, but as soon as he rode 

 on again she pursued him till he had got to a consider- 

 able distance from the place where he had started her. 

 In the tropical regions, some persons breed Ostriches in 

 flocks, for they may be tamed with very little trouble. 

 "When M. Adanson was at Podar, a French factory on 

 the southern bank of the river Niger, two young but 

 full-grown Ostriches, belonging to the factory, afforded 

 him a very amusing sight. They were so tame that two 

 little blacks mounted both together on the back of the 

 largest. No sooner did he feel their weight than he 

 began to run as fast as possible, and carried them several 

 times round the village, and it was impossible to stop 

 him otherwise than by obstructing the passage. This 

 sight pleased M. Adanson so much that he wished it to 

 be repeated, and, to try their strength, directed a full- 

 grown negro to mount the smaller, and two others the 

 larger of the birds. This burden did not seem at all 

 disproportioned to their strength. At first they went at 

 a tolerably sharp trot, but when they became a little 

 heated they expanded their wings, as though to catch 

 the wind, and moved with such fleetness that they 

 scarcely seemed to touch the ground. The foot of the 

 Ostrich has only two toes, one of which is extremely 

 large and strong. 



