A DESERT NINCOMPOOP 177 



ones from the male. From both sexes himdreds of 

 small grey and black fancy feathers are cut to thin 

 the heavy coat the birds grow when healthy. These 

 are sold for dusters. 



I must confess that most of my interesting experi- 

 ences have been with the wild birds. I find them far 

 more engrossing, though less beautiful, than the fat 

 domesticated fowl, which are usually logy with 

 overfeeding. 



Osa and I are always glad to get back to a mess 

 of ostrich eggs. We like them best scrambled, 

 though they can be prepared in any style. Each egg 

 weighs about three and a half pounds, and, from a 

 culinary point of view, is equal to about three dozen 

 hen eggs. It takes forty minutes to soft -boil an 

 ostrich egg and at least four hours really to hard-boil 

 it ; once done it will keep for weeks. 



I remember an afternoon when company came 

 suddenly. Osa told one of the ladies she guessed 

 she'd make a cake for dinner. 



She disappeared for five minutes and came back 

 with the remark, "Well, that's that." 



"You don't mean to say you've made a cake in 

 that time!" exclaimed the guest. 



Osa beckoned the doubter to follow her. "One 

 egg, one cup of flour, and a pinch of salt," she 

 laughed, "and you have a cake." 



There on the table was the huge shell of one ostrich 



