Birds of Farm and Zoo [ 77 



great bird of Africa, the ostrich, in many zoos though not all of 

 them are able to accommodate very large or rare species. 



The ostrich is the largest living bird: A full-grown male 

 measures about eight feet from its toes to the crown of its head. 

 Its wings are so small in relation to the size of its body that a child 

 readily realizes that the ostrich is a flightless bird. But nature 

 has compensated, as it so often does when an animal has some 

 lack or defect, by developing other traits which help in survival. 

 We see this compensation in the case of the small-winged ostrich; 

 it has tremendously powerful legs on which it can travel as much 

 as thirty miles an hour. 



The Huge Ostrich Egg: In keeping with its size the ostrich lays 

 eggs that are about eighteen times larger than a chicken's egg. 

 A family group of ostriches is made up of a cock and several hens. 

 The hens all lay their eggs in one large depression scooped out 

 of the sand. One of the hens covers the eggs during the day, but 

 the father takes over the task at night. 



The Maligned Ostrich: When you go to see the ostrich, your child 

 is almost certain to ask about the bird's reputation for stupidity. 

 The ostrich gets this reputation because of the widespread notion 

 that it believes itself hidden when it sticks its head in the sand. 

 Though this story is well entrenched in people's minds, it is 

 completely false. This fable is probably based on the fact that 

 when an ostrich chick is alarmed, it flops to the ground and extends 

 its long neck flat along the surface. 



PEACOCKSNATURE'S GORGEOUS SPECTACLE 



Even when he is not "displaying," the peacock is a handsome 

 bird. But if you are lucky enough to catch him in the act of 

 courting, you can see one of the most beautiful sights of the bird 

 world. 



The male and female may be walking quietly side by side when 

 suddenly there is a rattling of quills as the male shakes out the 

 feathers of his train. With a few stiff-legged steps he puts himself 

 ahead of his companion. Then, with a dramatic sweep of the long 

 feathers which trail behind him, he wheels in front of her, lifts 



