400 THE OSTRICH AND THE CASSOWARY 



which would at once break the spell. Should one of the birds 

 happen to get too near in pursuit, he has only to run to 

 windward, or throw off his saddle, to avoid a stroke from a wing 

 which would lay him prostrate. 



The Bushman frequently has recourse to a much simpler plan. 

 Having discovered the nest of an ostrich, he removes the eggs as 

 the first fruits of conquest, and then, concealing himself in the 

 empty cavity, patiently waits for the return of the bird, which 

 he generally despatches with one of those poisoned arrows which 

 make incredible havoc among the wild herds of the bush or the 

 savannah. According to Dr. Livingstone, the venom most gene- 

 rally employed is the milky juice of the tree euphorbia, which is 

 particularly hurtful to the equine race. When it is mixed with 

 the water of a pond, a whole herd of zebras will fall dead from 

 the effects of the poison before they have moved away two 

 miles ; while on oxen anti men it acts as a drastic purgative 

 only. This substance is used all over the country, though in 

 some places the venom of serpents and a certain bulb, Ama- 

 ryllis toxicaria, are added, in order to increase the virulence. 

 A slender reed only slightly barbed with bone or iron, but im- 

 bued with this poison, is sufficient to destroy the most powerful 

 animal. Thus we find the African savage subdue the beasts of 

 the field by similar means to those which are used by the wild 

 nations on the banks of the Orinoco or the Amazon. 



The ostrich generally passes for a very stupid animal, yet to 

 protect its young it has recourse to the same stratagems which 

 we admire in the plover, the oyster- catcher,* and several other 

 strand-birds. Thus MM. Andersson and Galton, while traversing 

 a barren plain, once hit upon a male and female ostrich, with a 

 brood of young ones about the size of ordinary barn-door fowls. 

 This was a sight they had long been looking for, having beeij 

 requested by Professor Owen to procure a few craniums of the 

 young ostrich, in order to settle certain anatomical questions; 

 so forthwith dismounting from their oxen, they gave chase, 

 which proved of no ordinary interest. 



" The moment the parent birds became aware of our intention, 

 they set off at full speed, the female leading the way, the young 

 following in her wake, and the male, though at some little 

 distance, bringing up the rear of the family -party. It was very 



* " The Sea and its Living Wonders," p. 119. 



