216 THE OSTHICH. 



off at such a speed that they seemed scarcely to 

 touch the ground. 



"Everyone has seen a partridge running, and knows 

 that no man is capable of catching it ; and it is not 

 difficult to imagine that if it had a greater stride its 

 speed would be considerably augmented. 



"The ostrich runs like the partridge, and I am 

 persuaded that they could leave far behind them 

 the swiftest English horse that could be put in 

 pursuit of them. It is true they could not keep up 

 as long a race as the horses, but undoubtedly they 

 would accomplish a short one more quickly. I have 

 been many times witness of this spectacle, which 

 should give some idea of the prodigious strength 

 of the ostrich, and the use which could be made 

 of it if means could be found of mastering and 

 instructing it as horses are taught." 



The largest of these two ostriches must then have 

 carried upwards of 300 pounds weight without 

 apparent inconvenience. 



M. Edouard Verreaux relates, on the contrary, that 

 having mounted a captive ostrich in a shed, the bird 

 had the greatest difficulty in carrying him. But this 

 experience by no means invalidates contrary testi- 

 mony. M. Gosse makes the reasonable observation 

 that this faculty which the ostrich possesses of carrying 

 weights so disproportioned to the size of its body, is 



