t,lRDS. 33 



birds, by compression ; and they lay very large eggs, some of 

 them being above five inelies in diameter, ;iiul weighing above 

 fifteen pounds. These eggs have a very hard shell, somewhat 

 resembling those of the crocodile, except that those of the latter 

 ai'c less and rounder.* 



The season for laying depends on the climate where the ani- 

 mal is bred. In the northern parts of Africa, this season is 

 about the beginning of July : in the south, it is about the latter 

 end of December. These birds are very prolific, and lay gener- 

 ally from forty to fifty eggs at one clutch. It has been commonly 

 reported that the female deposits them in the sand ; and, covering 

 them up, leaves them to be hatched by the heat of the climate, 

 and then permits the young to shift for themselves. Very little 

 of this, however, is tme : no bird has a stronger affection for 

 her young than the ostrich, nor none watches her eggs with 



* The ostrich is one of the few polyg-amous birds found in a stute of na. 

 turc ; one male being generally seen with two or three, and frequently with 

 five females. 



The females which are united to one male deposit all their eggs in the 

 same place, to the number of ten or twelve each : these they hatch altoge- 

 ther ; the male also taking his turn of sitting on them. E(!tween sixty and 

 seventy eggs have sometimes boon found in one nest. The time of incuba- 

 tion is six weei<s. From the veant of knowledge that the ostricli is polyg;i- 

 moiis. Linnaeus has suffered an error respecting this bird to slip into liis 

 Systema Naturae, where it is asserted, tliat one female sometimes lays near, 

 ly fifty eggs. 



M. Le Vaillant informs us, that he started an ostrich from its nest, in 

 Africa, where he found eleven egg^ quite warm, and four others at a short 

 distance. Those in the nest had young ones in them ; but liis attendants 

 eagerly caught up the detaclied ones, assuring him that they were perfectly 

 good to eat. They informed liim, that near the nest there are always placed 

 a certain number of eggs wliich the birds do not sit upon, and which are de- 

 signed for the first nourislunent of their future young. ". Experience," says 

 JI. Le Vaillant, " has convinced me of the truth of this observation j for I 

 never afterwards met with an ostrich's nest, without finding eggs deposited 

 in this mamier, at a small distance from it." Some time after this M. Le 

 Vaillant found a female ostrich on a nest containing thirty-two eggs ; and 

 twelve eggs were arranged at a little distance, each in a separate cavity 

 formed for it. He remained near the place some time, and saw tlu'ee other 

 females come and alternately seat themselves on tlie nest; eacli sitting for 

 about a quarter of an hour, and then giving place to another, wlio, while 

 waiting, sat close by the side of her whom she was to succeed. 



If the eggs are touched by any person in the absence of the parents, they 

 immediately discover it by tl\e scent, at their return ; and not only desist 

 from laying any more in the same place, but trample to pieces with thtir 

 feet all tliose tliat have been left. 



