TECULIAEITIES OF THE OSTRICH 403 



down exhausted or precipitates himself from the cliffs, when 

 the eagle quietly tears him to pieces. 



Almost as soon as the chicks of the ostrich (which are about 

 the size of pullets) have escaped from the shell, they are able 

 to walk about and to follow the mother, on whom they are 

 dependent for a long time. And here again we find a wonderful 

 provision of nature in providing the young of the ostrich with a 

 colour and a covering admirably suited to the localities they 

 frequent. The colour is a kind of pepper and salt, agreeing 

 well with the sand and gravel of the plains, which they are 

 in the habit of traversing, so that you have the greatest diffi- 

 culty in discerning the chicks even when crouching under your 

 very eyes. The covering is neither down nor feathers, but a kind 

 of prickly stubble, which no doubt is an excellent protection 

 against injury from the gravel and the stunted vegetation 

 amongst which they dwell. 



The ostrich resembles in many respects the quadrupeds, and 

 particularly the camel, so that it may almost be said to fill up 

 the chasm which separates the mammalia from the birds, and to 

 form a connecting link between them. Both the ostrich and 

 the dromedary have warty excrescences on the breast upon 

 which they lean whilst reposing, an almost similarly formed foot, 

 the same muscular neck ; and when we consider that they both 

 feed upon the most stunted herbage, and are capable of sup- 

 porting thirst for an incredibly long time, being, in fact, both 

 equally well formed for living on the arid plains, it is certainly 

 not to be wondered at that the ancients gave the ostrich a 

 name betokening this similitude {Struthio caraelus), and that 

 the fancy of the Arabs ascribes its original parentage to a bird 

 and to a dromedary. 



" The usual cry of the ostrich," says Harris, " is a short roar, 

 but when brought to bay it hisses like the gander;" and both 

 Dr. Livingstone and Anderson affirm that its cry so greatly re- 

 sembles that of the lion, as occasionally to deceive even the 

 natives. Our celebrated countryman, who is evidently no friend 

 of the lion, tells us that to talk of his majestic roar is mere 

 twaddle, as the silly ostrich makes a noise as loud. He 

 admits, however, that there is a great difference between 

 the singing noise of a lion when full, and his deep, gruff 

 growl when hungry, and that in general the lion's roar^-seems 



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