158 Crossing the North and South African Ostrich 



body. The head extends about 7| feet from the ground, the length from 

 the tip of the beak to the end of the tail is 7^ feet, and the total weight 

 about 240 lbs. The neck is about 3 feet long, and the body feathers 

 pass upwards for about 1 foot ; the knee joint is about 3 J- feet from the 

 ground ; a claw is rarely present on the small toe, and the scales on the 

 tarsus and third toe are usually continuous. 



Text-fig. 1. Head of North African ostrich showing baldness. The oval area towards 

 the hinder border represents the pineal spot. 



The wing plumes average about 36 to each wing, but vary from 33 

 to 42. 



The skin of the neck, body and legs is pale yellow in chicks, dark 

 grey in the mature hen, and dark blue in the cock. In the sexually 

 ripe cock only the beak, front part of the head, naked skin round the 

 eyes and tarsal scales are a bright scarlet, and the rest of the tarsus and 

 toes pink, but the redness does not extend above the ankle. 



The crown of the head is without any bald patch, and often bears a 

 tuft of longer hair-like feathers in the middle. 



The Qgg is deeply pitted all over, smaller and more oval than in the 

 northern bird. The average long diameter is 6 inches and the short 

 diameter 5 inches ; the weight about 3| lbs. (PI. VII, fig. 3). 



