OSTRICHES 



233 



so stupid, and their long legs, though strong for running, are 

 so easily broken, that an accident of some kind almost always 

 ends the life of an ostrich long before it has passed its prime. 



FIG. 1 80. Front view of male and female ostriches. (Photograph from the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture) 



The name " ostrich " has an interesting history. The Greeks 

 called this singular bird stnithiod '. This came into the Latin 

 language as struthio. In low Latin, avis, the Latin word for 

 "bird," was prefixed to what remained of the Greek name, 



