218 THE OSTRICH. 



wood. Adanson says that the two ostriches of which 

 we have before spoken, although they had not attained 

 all the strength which age and liberty would have given 

 them, and although laden with a considerable weight, 

 " would have left far behind them the swiftest 

 English horse that could have been sent in pursuit 

 of them." 



"Lhave seen them," says Sparrrnan, " sometimes 

 within two gun-shots of me, and I have started in 

 pursuit, but always without success." 



Xenophon relates that the cavaliers of Cyrus were 

 not more happy. Livingstone says that one can no 

 more distinguish the legs of an ostrich when at its full 

 speed, than one can see the spokes of the wheels of a 

 carriage driven at full gallop ; and he estimates that 

 the bird can make twenty-seven miles an hour. 



VII. 



THE ostrich shines less in point of intelligence ; but 

 it by no means merits the reputation for stupidity 

 which authors vie with each other in making for it. 

 It is a gentle bird, gay, pacific, vigilant, eminently 

 sociable, and not wanting, whatever may be said, in 

 any of the family instincts. 



Gumming one day surprised a flock of twelve 



