142 THE OSTRICH. 



bles. We are even told by Nopsicus, that the pseudo-em- 

 peror, Firmus, equally celebrated for his feats at the anvil 

 and at the trencher, devoured, in his own imperial person, 

 an entire Ostrich at one sitting. It is to be hoped that the 

 bird was not particularly old ; for it id allowed on all hands, 

 at least in the present day, that when it has reached a cer- 

 tain age, it is both a tough and an unsavory morsel. The 

 young are, nevertheless, said to be eatable ; and we may 

 well imagine that the haunch of such a bird would furnish 

 a tolerably substantial dish. The Arabs, it may be added, 

 have adopted the Jewish prohibition, and regard the Os- 

 trich as an unclean animal : but some of the barbarous 

 tribes of the interior of Africa, like the Struthiophagi of 

 old, still feed upon its flesh whenever they are fortunate 

 enough to procure it. 



