THE OSTRICH AT HOME 71 



moving ostriches. Singly, in twos, in threes, 

 in tens they were speeding north-eastward 

 over the desert ; some on my right, some to the 

 left. Ever and anon one or other of the groups 

 halted and its members stood at gaze. The 

 ostrich cannot keep on the move continuously 1 

 for any length of time on a hot day. If forced 

 to attempt doing so, death from heat-apoplexy 

 would inevitably result. One troop, far in ad- 

 vance of all the others, seemed to be approach- 

 ing me, but it swerved and passed to the left. 

 It contained eleven birds, most of them young 

 and immature ; a few were full-grown hens and 

 one was a very large cock bird. However, his 

 plumes were sand-stained, so it is evident he 

 had been dislodged from a nest. 



Far and near there must have been nearly a 

 hundred birds in sight. No doubt some 

 favourite food was plentiful in the vicinity 

 from which they had been stampeded ; possibly 

 a swarm of locusts might have there hatched 

 out. Now the birds were beginning to scud 

 past between me and the camp, as though fol- 

 lowing a trail known to them. But they were 

 too far off to fire at. Could it be that after all 

 I was not to have a shot. 



Another troop swerved to a course calculated 

 to bring them fairly close to the scherm ; there 





