THE OSTRICH. 43 



have very small feathers 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 

 large 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 distinct sto- 

 machs. The first, which is lowermost, in its 

 natural situation somewhat resembles the crop in 

 other birds; but it is considerably larger than 

 the other stomach, and is furnished with strong 

 muscular fibres, as well circular as longitudinal. 

 The second stomach, or gizzard, has outwardly 

 the shape of the stomach of a man ; and upon 

 opening is always found filled with a variety of 

 discordant substances hay, grass, barley, beans, 

 bones, and stones, some of which exceed in size 

 a pullet's egg. The kidneys are eight inches 

 long and two broad, and differ from those of 

 other birds in not being divided into lobes. The 

 heart and lungs are separated by a midriff, as in 



