THE OSTRICH. 49 



The beauy of a part of this plumage, particular!} the long feathers 

 that compose the wings and tail, is the chief reason that man has been 

 so active in pursuing this harmless bird to its deserts, and hunting it 

 with no 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 gon- 

 tlemen 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. 



Besides the value of their plumage, some of the savage nations 01 

 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 

 nations 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 us a receipt for ma- 

 king sauce for the ostrich ; and Heliogabalus 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, bat that was an expen- 

 sive one. Even among the Europeans now, the eggs of the ostrich 

 are said to be well tasted, and extremely nourishing, but they are too 

 scarce to be fed upon, although a single egg be a sufficient entertain- 

 ment for eight men. 



As the spoils of the ostrich are thus valuable, it is not to be won 

 dered 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 Jerrify him from the plain into the mountains. Of all known ani- 

 mals that make use of their legs in running, the ostrich is by far the 

 swiftest ; upon observing himself therefore pursued at a distance, he 

 begins to run at first but gently ; either insensible of his danger, 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 cor- 

 respondent to that of his legs: and his 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, relievo 

 each other, meet him at unexpected turns, and keep him thus still em- 

 ployed, still followed for two or three days together. At last, spent 

 with fatigue and famine, and finding all power of escape impossible, he 

 endeavours to hide himself from those enemies he cannot avoid, and 

 covers his head in the sand, or the first thicket he meets. Sometimes; 

 however, he attempts to face his pursuers ; 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 vithstand him .it 

 the shock 



