4'. A HISTORY OF 



The plumage is much alike in all ; that is, generally black and 

 white ; though some of them are said to be gray. The greatest fea- 

 thers are at the extremities of the wings and tail, and the largest are 

 generally white. The next row is black and white ; and of the small 

 feathers on the back and belly, some are white and others black. 

 There are no feathers on the sides, nor yet on the thighs, nor under 

 the wings. The lower part of the neck, about half way, is covered 

 with still smaller feathers than those on the belly and back ; and those, 

 like the former, also are of different colours. 



All these feathers are of the same kind, and peculiar to the ostrich ; 

 for other birds Have several sorts, some of which are soft and downy, 

 and others hard and strong. Ostrich feathers are almost all as soft as 

 down, being utterly unfit to serve the animal for flying, and still less 

 adapted to be a proper defence against external injury. The feathers 

 of other birds have the webs broader on one side than the other, but 

 those of the ostrich have their shaft exactly in the middle. The upper 

 part of the head and neck are covered with a very fine, clear, white 

 hair, that shines like the bristles of a hog ; and in some places there 

 are small tufts of it, consisting of about twelve hairs, which grow from 

 a single shaft about the thickness of a pin. 



At the end of each wing, there is a kind of spur almost like the 

 quill of a porcupine. It is an inch long, being hollow and of a horny 

 substance. There are two of these on each wing ; the largest of which 

 is at the extremity of the bone of the wing, and the other a foot lower. 

 The neck seems to be more slender in proportion to that of other 

 birds, from its not being furnished with feathers. The skin in this 

 part is of a livid flesh-colour, which some improperly would have to 

 be blue. The bill is short and pointed, and two inches and a half at 

 the beginning. The external form of the eye is like that of a man, 

 the upper eye-lid being adorned with eye-lashes, which are longer than 

 those on the lid below. The tongue is small, very short, and com- 

 posed of cartilages, ligaments, and membranes, intermixed with fleshy 

 fibres. In some it is about an inch long, and very thick at the bottom. 

 In others it is but half an inch, being a little forked at the end. 



The thighs are very fleshy and large, being covered with a white 

 skin, inclining to redness, and wrinkled in the manner of a net, whose 

 meshes will admit the end of a finger. Some have very small leathers 

 here and there on the thighs ; and others again have neither feathers 

 nor wrinkles. What are called the legs of birds, in this are covered 

 before with large scales. The end of the foot is cloven, and has two 

 very 'arge toes, which, like the leg, are covered with scales. These 

 toes are of unequal sizes. The largest, which is on the inside, is seven 

 inches long, including the claw, which is near three-fourths of an inch 

 in length, and almost as broad. The other toe is but four inches long, 

 and is without a claw. 



The internal parts of this animal are formed with no less surprising 

 peculiarity. At the top of the breast, under the skin, the fat is two 

 inches thick ; and on the fore part of the belly it is as hard as suet, 

 and about two inches and a half thick in some places. It has two dis 

 tinct stomachs. The first, which is lowermost, in its natural situation 

 omewhat icsembles the crop in other birds ; but it is considei abh< 



