The Zoologist — May, 1873. 8531 



up with four wires, 8d. per yard ; the wire required to be filled in with 

 bushes, to prevent the ostriches hurtiug themselves, as when the wires are 

 bare the birds are apt to run up violently against them, through not seeing 

 any impediment to their flight. The first crop, or " chickens' feathers," 

 should be allowed to remain on the birds at least ten months ; they are of 

 little value and protect the second crop, which is much better in consequence. 

 As a rule ostriches do not pair until they are three years old, but there are 

 exceptions when the birds have been brought up on luxuriant pasturage. — 

 Cape Monthly Magazine. 



[As a natural-history question quite apart from ostrich-farming, will 

 some of my correspondents at the Cape inform me what authority there is for 

 supposing that ostriches jsfljr at all '? The opinion that ostriches are poly- 

 gamous is very general, but the frequent recurrence of the term " pairing," 

 and of similar expressions, leads to a belief that this is still an open 

 question. — E. New)nan.] 



Possession Island. — As this bleak spot has been spoken of as a station 

 for observing the transit of Venus, the annexed description may have some 

 interest, if only as a caution. " We found the shores of the mainland com- 

 pletely covered with ice projecting into the sea, and heavy surf along its 

 edge forbade any attempt to laud upon it ; a strong tide carried us rapidly 

 along between this ice-bound coast and the islands, amongst heavy masses of 

 ice, so that our situation was for some time most critical ; for all the exer- 

 tions our people could use were insufficient to stem the tide. But taking 

 advantage of a narrow opening that appeared in the ice, the boats were 

 pushed through it, and we got into an eddy under the lee of the largest of 

 the islands, and landed on a beach of large loose stones and stranded 



masses of ice The island is composed entirely of igneous rocks, 



and is only accessible on its western side. We saw not the smallest 

 appearance of vegetation, but inconceivable myriads of penguins completely 

 and densely covered the whole surface of the island, along the ledges of the 

 precipices, and even to the summits of the hills, attacking us vigorously as 

 we waded through their ranks, which, together with their loud coarse notes, 

 and the insupportable stench from the deep bed of guano, which had been 

 forming for ages, made us glad to get away again, after loading our boats with 

 geological specimens and penguins. Owing to the heavy surf on the beach, 

 we could not tell whether the water was ebbing or flowing ; but there was 

 a strong tide running to the south, between Possession Island and the 

 mainland, and the ' Terror ' had some difficulty to avoid being carried by 

 it against the land-ice. Future navigators should therefore be on their 

 guard in approaching the coast at this place." — J, D. Hooker, as quoted in 

 ' Nature.' 



