ostrich. 613 



of hunting the ostrich, as with dogs and nets j but that practised by 

 the Struthophagi appears most ingenious. They covered themselves 

 with ostrich skins ; and, passing their arms through the necks of 

 them, counterfeited all the motions of these birds. When admitted 

 into their society, they readily surprised them. 



The ostriches, though inhabitants of the desert, and possessed of 

 prodigious strength, are, especially if taken when young, neither so 

 fierce nor so difficult to tame as might be expected. The inhabit- 

 ants of Dara and Libya are said to render them almost domestic, 

 like herds of cattle, with scarcely any other means than constantly 

 accustoming them to the sight of man ; to receive from him their 

 food; and to be treated with gentleness. 



Besides the use of their feathers, ostriches, in their domestic state, 

 are said to be mounted and rode upon in the same manner as horses. 

 Firmius, an Egyptian prince of the third century, used them for that 

 purpose ; and, in after times, Moore assures us, that, at I var, in 

 Africa, he saw a man travelling upon an ostrich. Adanson asserts, 

 that, at the factory of Podore, he had himself two ostriches, that, 

 although young, run faster than a race-horse, with two negroes on 

 their backs. But, although these birds may be so tamed, that, like 

 cattle, they will surfer themselves to be driven in flocks to and from 

 their stalls, and even to be mounted like horses ; yet there is reason 

 to apprehend, from their invincible stupidity > they can never be 

 taught to obey the hand of the rider, to comprehend the meaning 

 of his commands, or to submit to his will. For it appears, by Adan- 

 son's narrative, that the ostriches at Podore, though they did not 

 run to a great distance, scampered several times around the village, 

 and that they could only be stopped by barricading the passage. 

 From this intractable disposition, there is reason to apprehend, that 

 man will never be able to avail himself of the strength and 

 swiftness of the ostrich, as he has availed himself of those qualities 

 in the horse. 



The voracity of this bird far exceeds that of any animal whatever, 

 for it will devour, and that with equal greediness, every thing that 

 it meets with ; stones, wood, brass, iron, or leather, as readily as 

 it will grain and fruit, which, in its native wilds, are probably its 

 principal food. Those dissected by Warren and Ramby, had their 

 stomachs so crammed with these hetereogeneous substances, that 

 they were astonished that these animals were able to digest such a 

 mass. The fact is, notwithstanding the marvellous accounts of this 

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