6 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



day and the black ones of the cock by night are very 

 hard to distinguish. 



In the eastern Transvaal the. nesting period seems to 

 lie between August and January. I found twenty-one 

 eggs in a nest on the i8th August, and one taken had a 

 partially developed chick inside. Another nest, con- 

 taining eighteen eggs, was found on 28th December ; 

 the young ones were just ready to hatch out. I have 

 also noticed very young chicks in October. On the 

 /Athi Plains? of British East Africa the season seems 

 very much the same. The incubation period lasts from 

 five to six weeks, and on coming out the chicks are 

 helpless for the first day, but after that speedily become 

 active. If young ostriches are being artificially reared, 

 great care must be taken that they are kept warm at 

 night, as they are extremely susceptible to cold. 



Wild ostriches feed on various leaves, twigs, seeds 

 and small plants, which they cover great distances 

 to seek. To assist digestion they swallow stones and 

 other hard objects. They are amongst the wariest of 

 game, and are very fleet of foot, running with their heads 

 held back and wings clear of the thighs. Unfortunately 

 for them, their habit of going in wide circles deprives 

 them of much of the advantage derived from their 

 speed. A cock ostrich can deliver a blow from his foot 

 equal to the kick of a horse, and tame ones are often 

 dangerous at certain times of year. Their habit of 

 "waltzing" has often been described. After leaving 

 the nest the chicks accompany their parents until well 

 grown, and later the birds are sometimes found associ- 

 ated in large troops, which probably are temporary 

 collections of various family parties. 



The chief enemies of the full-grown ostrich are the 

 lion, the chita, and the hunting dog. The lion stalks 



