THE OSTRICH. 71 



URUGUAY- 



the wings were for a moment collapsed ; and when again ex- 

 panded with an altered inclination, the momentum gained 

 by the rapid descent seemed to urge the bird upward with 

 the even and steady movement of a paper kite. It is truly 

 wonderful and beautiful to see so great a bird, hour after 

 hour, without any apparent exertion, wheeling and gliding 

 over mountain and river. 



THE OSTRICH. 



ON the fine plains of turf in Banda Oriental we saw 

 many ostriches (Struthio rlied). Some of the flocks con- 

 tained as many as twenty or thirty birds. These, when 

 standing on any little height and seen against the clear 

 sky, presented a very noble appearance. I never met with 

 such tame ostriches in any other part of the country: it 

 was easy to gallop up within a short distance of them ; but 

 then, expanding their wings, they made all sail before the 

 wind, and soon left the horse astern. 



The ostrich is the largest of the birds which are com- 

 mon on the wild plains of Northern Patagonia. It lives on 

 vegetable matter, such as roots and grass; but at Bahia 

 Blanca I have repeatedly seen three or four come down at 

 low water to the extensive mud-banks, which are then dry, 

 for the sake, as the Gauchos say, of feeding on small fish. 

 Although the ostrich in its habits is so shy, wary, and sol- 

 itary, and although so fleet in its pace, it is caught without 

 much difficulty by the Indian or Gaucho armed with the 

 bolas (two round stones, covered with leather, and united 



