More Somali 



of rifle or poisoned arrow, as the case may be. 

 This method I never saw tried, and so many 

 contretemps may arise, the cock-bird not turn- 

 ing up for one, that I never wished to try it. 

 Another way, which I also did not try for obvious 

 reasons, is to gird up your loins and run on their 

 spoor. Ostriches never feed at night, thus, by 

 keeping them on the move while it is light 

 for a day or two, they succumb to hunger and 

 weakness, and are easily caught ; that is, if you 

 don't succumb first, which might occur if you 

 don't happen to be a Somali man. 



To return to my ostriches. They were three 

 in number, two grey hens and a black and white 

 cock; two continually fed while one did sentry-go. 

 They were feeding across an open bit some 400 

 yards in extent and towards some bushes. I 

 went down flat, and, wriggling along for a solid 

 half-hour, emerged just opposite where they should 

 have been; but they had vanished completely, 

 and I saw them no more. There were plenty of 

 ostriches about ; their fresh spoor was everywhere, 

 but we very seldom saw them. I imagine their 

 height gives them an enormous advantage, as 

 they can look straight over the Somali thorn 

 bushes, which a man can't ; while, unlike a giraffe, 

 for example, their height doesn't give them away, 

 as their bulk lies in the body only, and no one 

 could spot their heads and necks very far away. 



