7a Of the Oftrich. 



(v. 17.) hailing deprived them qfWifdom, neither hath it im- 

 parted to them Under [landing. 

 The great Thofc Parts of thc Sahara which thefe Birds chiefly fre- 



wantcfFood J ^ 



ia ihe G^-qxxQnt, {Trav. p. 389.) are deftitute of all manner of Food and 

 Herbage ; except it be foiiie few Tufts of coarfe Grafs; or 

 elfe a few other folitary Plants, of fome other Kinds ; which 

 are equally deftitute of Nourifhment ; and in the TJalmi/i's 

 Phrafe, (1x9. 6.) even wither eth, afore it he plucked up. Yet, 

 thefe Herbs, notwithftanding this Drynefs and want of Moi- 

 fture in their Temperature, will fometimes have both their 

 Leaves and their Stalks ftudded all over with great Varieties 

 of the fmaller Sorts of the {Cochleae terre fires) Land Snails • 

 which may afford them fome little Refrefhment. It is very 

 probable likewife, that they may fometimes feize upon Lizards, . 

 Serpents, and Infe(?l:s of various Kinds. Yet ftill, confiderino- 

 the great Voracity and the Size of this Camel-Bird, it is won- 

 derful, not only, how the little ones, after they are weaned 

 from the Provilions I have mentioned, fliould be brought up 

 and nouriflTied, but even how thofe of fuller Growth and much 

 better qualified to look out for themfelves, are able to fubfift. 

 Their Or- Their Organs of Diseftion, (which, by their ftrons; Fri6lion, 



gans of Di- . . 



geftion. yvill wear away even Iron itfelf,) Ihew them indeed to be grani- 

 vorous ; but yet, they have fcarce ever anOpportunity to exercife 

 them, in this Way, unlefs when they chance to ftray, (which 

 is very feldom,) towards thofe Parts of the Country, which 

 The Ojirkh are fown and cultivated. For thefe , as they are much 

 theDefercs. frcqucntcd, by XhQy4rahSy at the feveral Seafons of grazing, 

 plowing, and gathering in the Harveft; fo they are little vi- 

 fited by, as indeed they would be an improper Abode for, this 

 Ihy, timorous Bird ; a Lover ((piAep^Ac©-) of the 'Deferts. This 

 laft Circumftance, in the Behaviour of the Oflrich, is frequent- 

 ly alluded to in theH. Scriptures; particularly Jf.i'^.zi. and 

 34. 13. and 4.3. lo. yer. so. 39. where the word {^^y\/aanah) 

 inftead of being rendered the Oflrich, as it is rightly put in 

 the Margin, is called the Owl\ a word ufed likewife inftead 

 oijaanah or the Oflrich, Lev. 11. \6. and 'Deut. 14. 15-. 

 Some parti- Whilft I was abroad, I had feveral Opportunities of amufing 

 oftheo/nv^.my felf with the Actions and Behaviour of the Oflrich. It 

 was very diverting to obferve, with what Dexterity and Equi- 



poife 



