220 THE OSTRICH. 



oed, and only left him, deprived of consciousness, 

 on seeing Si-Djelloul coming to the assistance of his 

 brother." 



" Whilst riding out one morning," says Thunberg, 

 who was then at the Cape, "I passed near to a female 

 ostrich, which was brooding ; she rose, and started in 

 pursuit of me, in order to prevent my seeing her eggs, 

 or young ones. As soon as I turned my horse's head 

 round she fled, but when I continued my journey she 

 commenced again to pursue me." 



The excessive timidity with which they are re- 

 proached is but the result of the incessant hunting to 

 which they are subjected. Those kept in captivity are 

 not in the slightest degree timid, nor are those which 

 have no knowledge of man. 



Kichardson relates, that having reached the plateau 

 of Haniala, where the ostriches have not been dis- 

 turbed, he had -the grand sight of a flock of eleven 

 of these birds feeding tranquilly like sheep, without 

 showing any disposition to fly. 



I have said that they are very sociable. A flock of 

 from two to three hundred has occasionally been met 

 with in the desert, mingling with giraffes, cougas, 

 zebras, and antelopes. This sociability renders it an 

 easy matter to tame them. 



"Young ostriches are easily tamed," says General 

 Daumas; "they play with the children, and sleep in 



