176 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



ful two-toed feet ; an occasional difference of opinion be- 

 tween two quarrelsome birds eager to fight, craning their 

 snake-like necks, hissing savagely, and ' lifting up them- 

 selves on high/ but unable, owing to the closeness with 

 which they are packed, to do each other any injury. 



" And through it all, T , Mr. B , and our Kaffirs 



are calmly going in and out among the struggling throng ; 

 all hard at work, the two former steadily and methodically 

 operating with their shears on each bird as in its turn it 

 is tugged along, like a victim to the sacrifice, by three 

 men two holding its wings, and the third dragging at its 

 long neck till one fears that with all its kicks, tumbles, and 

 sudden wild leaps into the air, its flat brainless little head, 

 will be pulled off. One extra-refractory bird, when finally 

 subdued, and helpless in the hands of the pluckers, avenges 

 his wrongs upon the ostrich standing nearest to him in the 

 crowd ; and for every feather pulled from his own tail, 

 gives a savage nip to the head of his unoffending neigh- 

 bour, a mild bird, who does not retaliate, but looks puzzled, 

 his own turn not yet having come. It is amusing to watch 

 the rapid retreat of each poor denuded creature when set 

 free from his tormentors. He goes out at the gate looking 

 crestfallen indeed, but apparently much relieved to find 

 himself still alive. 



" To prevent their tips being spoilt the wing-plumes are 

 always cut before the quills are ripe. The stumps are 

 allowed to remain some two or three months longer, until 

 they are so ripe that they can be pulled out generally by 

 the teeth of the Kaffirs without hurting the bird. It is 

 necessary to pull them; the feathers, which by their 

 weight would have caused the stumps to fall out naturally 

 at the right time, being gone. Some farmers, anxious to 

 bring on the next crop of feathers, are cruel enough to 

 draw the stumps before they are ripe ; but nature, as 



