332 NATURAL HISTORY. 



sometimes from a succulent herb, having thick leaves, yielding 

 a poisonous milky juice, and sometimes from the jaws of 

 snakes. The bow barely exceeds three feet in length ; its 

 string is of twisted sinews. When a Bushman finds an. os- 

 trich's nest he ensconces himself in it, and there awaits the 

 return of the old birds, by which means he generally secures 

 the pair. It is by means of these little arrows that the major- 

 ity of the fine plumes are obtained which grace the heads of the 

 fair throughout the civilized world." 



The food of the Ostrich is vegetable, and it swallows many 

 stones, &c. to assist it in grinding its food. When in confine- 

 ment it picks up anything, glass, nails, &c., from the effects of 

 which it sometimes dies.^ 



Capt. Gumming remarks a fact not generally known, viz. the 

 care that the Ostrich takes of its young. It has generally been 

 supposed that after the eggs are laid, the female leaves them 

 to be hatched in the sun, and takes no more care for them. 

 The following anecdote would do honour to the far-famed Lap- 

 wing. " I fell in with a troop of about twelve young ostrich- 

 es, which were not much larger than Guinea-fowls. I was 

 amused to see the mother endeavour to lead us away, exactly 

 like a wild duck, spreading out and drooping her wings, and 

 throwing herself down on the ground before us as if wounded, 

 while the cock bird cunningly led the brood away in an oppo- 

 site direction." 



The Rhea, or American Ostrich, is abundant on the banks 

 of the river La Plata, and is chased by the Gauchos, who pur- 

 sue it on horseback, and kill it by throwing the celebrated 

 " bolas." These curious weapons are made of a long leathern 

 thong, having a heavy stone or leaden ball attached to each end. 

 The Gaucho can throw it so as either to stun his prey with a 

 blow from the ball, or strangle it by causing the thong to twist 

 round its neck. 



It is known that the Rhea can swim well, and frequently 

 crosses rivers several hundred feet in width, a power which the 

 ostrich and the cassowary are not ascertained to possess. There 

 are two species of this bird, one, the Darwin's Rhea, has been 

 but lately introduced to science. 



* I have been present at the dissection of an ostrich, when an astonishing amount 

 of pebbles and other hard materials was taken from its stomach, among which were 

 a tolerably large piece of deal, and a considerable portion of a brickbat. 



