22 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



small degree of expense and labour. The 

 ancients used those plumes in their helmets; 

 the ladies of the East make them an orna- 

 ment in their dress; and, among us, our 

 undertakers and our fine gentlemen still make 

 use of them to decorate their hearses and their 

 hats. Those feathers which are plucked from 

 the animal while alive, are much more valued 

 than those taken when dead ; the latter being 

 dry, light, and subject to be worm eaten. 



Beside the value of their plumage, some of 

 the savage nations of Africa hunt them also 

 for their flesh, which they consider as a dainty. 

 They sometimes also breed these birds tame, 

 to eat the young ones, of which the female is 

 said to be the greatest delicacy. Some na- 

 tions have obtained the name of Struthophagi, 

 or ostrich-eaters, from their peculiar fondness 

 for this food ; and even the Romans themselves 

 were not averse to it. Apicius gives a receipt 

 for making sauce for the ostrich ; and Helio- 

 gabalus is noted for having dressed the brains 

 of six hundred ostriches in one dish ; for it 

 was his custom never to eat but of one dish 

 in a day, but that was an expensive one. 

 Even among the Europeans now, the eggs of 

 the ostrich are said to be well tasted, and ex- 

 tremely nourishing ; but they are too scarce 

 to be fed upon, although a single egg be a 

 sufficient entertainment for eight men. 



As the spoils of the ostrich are thus valu- 

 able, it is not to be wondered at that man has 

 become their most assiduous pursuer. For 

 this purpose, the Arabians train up their best 

 and fleetest horses, and hunt the ostrich still 

 in view. Perhaps of all other varieties of 

 the chase, this though the most laborious, is 

 yet the most entertaining. As soon as the 

 hunter comes within sight of his prey, he 

 puts on his horse with a gentle gallop, so as 

 to keep the ostrich still in sight; yet not so as 

 to terrify him from the plain into the moun- 

 tains. Of all known animals that make use 

 of their legs in running, the ostrich is by far 

 the swiftest ; upon observing himself there- 

 fore pursued at a distance, he begins to run at 

 first but gently ; either insensible of his dan- 

 ger, or sure of escaping. In this situation he 

 somewhat resembles a man at full speed ; his 

 wings, like two arms, keep working with a 

 motion correspondent to that of his legs : and 

 iris speed would very soon snatch him from 

 the view of his pursuers; but, unfortunately 

 for the silly creature, instead of going off in 

 a direct line, he takes his course in circles; 

 while the hunters still make a small course 

 within, relieve each other, meet him at unex- 

 pected turns, and keep him thus still employ- 



ostrich are from the tail of the bird, which is not the 

 fact. They are from the wings. The tail feathers are 

 short, and of little value. 



ed, still followed for two or three days toge- 

 ther. At last, spent with fatigue and famine, 

 and finding all power of escape impossible, 

 he endeavours to hide himself from those ene- 

 mies he cannot avoid, and covers his head in 

 the sand, or the first, thicket he meets. Some- 

 times, however, he attempts to face his pur- 

 suers ; and though in general the most gentle 

 animal in nature, when driven to desperation, 

 he defends himself with his beak, his wings, 

 and his feet. Such is the force of his motion, 

 that a man would be utterly unable to with- 

 stand him in the shock. 



The Struthophagi have another method of 

 taking this bird ; they cover themselves with 

 an ostrich's skin, and passing up an arm 

 through the neck, thus counterfeit all the mo- 

 tions of this animal. By this artifice they 

 approach the ostrich, which becomes an easy 

 prey. He is sometimes also taken by dogs 

 and nets, but the most usual way is that men- 

 tioned above. 



When the Arabians have thus taken an 

 ostrich, they cut its throat, and making a liga- 

 ture below the opening, they shake the bird, 

 as one would rince a barrel ; then taking off 

 the ligature, there runs out from the wound in 

 the throat a considerable quantity of blood, 

 mixed with the fat of the animal ; and this is 

 considered one of their greatest dainties. They 

 next flay the bird ; and of the skin, which is 

 strong and thick, sometimes make a kind of 

 vest, which answers the purposes of a cuirass 

 and a buckler. 



There are others who, more compassionate 

 or more provident, do not kill their captive, 

 but endeavour to tame it, for the purposes of 

 supplying those feathers which are in so great 

 request. The inhabitants of Dara and Lybia 

 breed up whole flocks of them, and they are 

 tamed with very little trouble. But it is not 

 for their feathers alone that they are prized 

 in this domestic state ; they are often ridden 

 upon, and used as horses. Moore assures us, 

 that at Joar he saw a man travelling upon an 

 ostrich ; and Adanson asserts, that, at the 

 factory of Podore, he had two ostriches, which 

 were then young, the strongest of which ran 

 swifter than the best English racer, although 

 he carried two negroes on his back. As soon 

 as the animal perceived that it was loaded, it 

 set off running with all its force, and made 

 several circuits round the village ; till at 

 length the people were obliged to stop it, by 

 barring up the way. How far this strength 

 and swiftness may be useful to mankind, even 

 in a polished state, is a matter that perhaps 

 deserves inquiry. Posterity may avail them, 

 selves of this creature's abilities ; and riding 

 upon an ostrich may one day become the fa- 

 vourite, as it most certainly is the swiftest, 

 mode of conveyance. 



