2 A HISTORY OF 



self upon the eggs ; however, he takes the singular precaution of lay 

 ing two of the number aside, which he does not sit upon. When ths 

 young ones come forth, these two eggs are addled ; which the male 

 having foreseen, breaks one, and then the other, upon which multi- 

 tudes of flies are found to settle; and these supply the young brood 

 with a sufficiency of provision, till they are able to shift for themselves. 



On the other hand, Wafer asserts, that he has seen great quantities 

 of this animal's eggs on the desert shores, north of the river Plata, 

 where they were buried in the sand, in order to be hatched by the 

 heat of the climate. Both this, as well as the preceding account, may 

 be doubted ; and it is more probable that it was the crocodile's eggs 

 which Wafer had seen, which are undoubtedly hatched in that man- 

 ner. 



When the young ones are hatched, they are familiar, and follow 

 the first person they meet. I have been followed myself, says Wafer, 

 by many of these young ostriches ; which at first are extremely harm- 

 less and simple ; but as they grow older, they become more cunning 

 and distrustful ; and run so swift, that a grey hound can scarcely over- 

 take them. Their flesh, in general, is good to be eaten ; especially if 

 they be young. It would be no difficult matter to rear up flocks of 

 these animals tame, particularly as they are naturally so familiar ; 

 and they might be found to answer domestic purposes, like the hen or 

 the turkey. Their maintenance could not be expensive, if, as Nar 

 borough says, they live entirely upon grass. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE CASSOWARY. 



THE Cassowary is a bird which was first brought into Europe by 

 the Dutch, from Java, in the East Indies, in which part of the world 

 t is only to be found. Next to the preceding, it is the largest and 

 the heaviest of the feathered species. 



The cassowary, though not so large as the former, yet appears 

 more bulky" to the eye ; its body being nearly equal, and its neck and 

 legs much thicker and stronger in proportion ; this conformation gives 

 it an air of strength and force, which the fierceness and singularity of 

 its countenance conspire to render formidable. It is five feet and a 

 half long, from the point of the bill to the extremity of the claws. 

 The legs are two feet and a half high, from the belly to the end of the 

 claws. The head and neck together are a foot and a half; and the lar- 

 gest toe, including the claw, is five inches long. The claw alone of the 

 least toe, is three inches and a half in length. The wing is so small, 

 that it does not appear, it being hid under the feathers of the back. In 

 ->thor birds, a part of the feathers serve for flight, and are different 

 from tnose that serve merely for covering; but in the cassowary, all tlio 



