Aprrix 8, 1&97 | 
WA TORE 
S)ai7/ 
proceed to makea nest. I believe that in all cases, in the first 
instance, one cock and one hen, having paired, select the site 
and make the nest. 
The nest is simply a hollow depression, more or less deep 
according to the nature of the soil. It is made by the pair 
together. The cock goes down on to his breast, scraping or 
kicking the sand out backwards with his feet, cutting the earth 
with his long and powerful nails. The hen stands by, often 
fluttering and clicking her wings, and helps by picking up the 
sand with her beak, and dropping it irregularly near the edge of 
the growing depression. 
LAYING AND SITTING. 
When satisfied with their work (and they are easily satisfied, 
often too easily) the hen begins to lay an egg in the nest, every 
other day. During the laying period the nest is often un- 
attended, and is not slept on at night. A nest in which only one 
hen is laying contains on the average about fifteen eggs ; but 
she often begins to sit before she has laid her full complement. 
Sometimes she will lay four or five after beginning to sit, though 
not often so many; sometimes only one or two; while some- 
times she will lay her full complement. The hen generally 
begins the sitting ; she will occasionally sit for one or two days 
and nights before the cock takes his turn, When sitting 
assumes its regular course, the hen sits from § or 9 a.m. to 
about 4 p.m., and the cock from 4 p.m. to about 8 or 9 a.m. 
The bird whose turn it is to be on the nest keeps its seat until 
the other arrives to relieve it, when they at once change places. 
It is quite incorrect to say that the cock alone sits, or that 
during the day the eggs are left to the heat of the sun. The 
cock and hen sit alternately, regularly and steadily, night and 
day, during the whole period of incubation. 
PROTECTIVE COLOURATION. 
The colour of each is admirably adapted to the time spent on 
the nest, and furnish interesting examples of protective colour- 
ation. It is scarcely possible to conceive a more effective 
disguise than the sober brownish grey of the hen for day sitting, 
and the black of the cock for night. When on the nest, the 
ostrich lays its head, neck, and tail flat along the ground; its 
naked ‘‘thighs ” are covered by the wings, the plumes lying 
close together on the earth almost hidden against the bird’s 
body. Thus only the low, long-curved body projects above the 
surrounding level. The cock, at night, is, of course, almost 
perfectly hidden ; while the hen, at day-time, closely resembles 
a stone, bush, ant-heap, or any little inequality of the veld. 
One is surprised to see how close such a large bird can lie to 
the ground, and how even an ostrich-farmer may almost walk 
over a sitting hen in full daylight without seeing her, The cock 
is simply indistinguishable at night, except to a practised eye, 
and then only at a few yards distance. 
Is THE OstTRICH POLYGAMOUS ? 
Every authority that I have consulted holds that the ostrich 
is polygamous, but the evidence against polygamy is very 
strong ; a pair make the nest; the hen lays all her eggs (a full 
sitting) in that nest ; the hatching of the eggs and the care of 
the chicks are shared equally by cock and hen; the cock loses 
his sexual vigour and ceases his attentions to the hen, soon 
after beginning to sit; and one hen toanest yields the best 
results. 
I do not, however, think it can be maintained that the 
monogamy of the ostrich is proved absolutely, but I decidedly 
think that the arguments in its favour are much stronger than 
those in support of polygamy. 
CurRIoUS AND EXCEPTIONAL RELATIONS. 
Finally, it must be allowed that, while all the facts at my 
command point strongly to the conclusion that the ostrich is 
not only often monogamous, but that monogamy is the only 
condition perfectly favourable to the successful hatching and 
rearing of young; and that all the arguments in favour of 
polygamy break down on examination: yet the fact remains that 
there are a large number of curious and exceptional circum- 
stances connected with the nidification, sexual relations, and 
parental habits of ostriches that Iam not yet exactly able to 
account for, either on the supposition of fully organised mono- 
gamy or polygamy. 
NO. 1432, VOL. 55 | 
\ 
NATIONAL MEMORIAL TO JENNER. 
ap MLE meeting held onWednesday, in last week,gave coherence to 
. the scheme for raising a national memorial to Edward Jenner, 
in celebration of the centenary of the discovery of vaccination. 
“It was surely high time,” said the Duke of Westminster, who 
presided over the meeting, ‘‘ that this his native land should rise 
to the occasion, and at last, after 101 years have passed since 
the first successful vaccination, take active and effective steps to 
carefully preserve his great legacy to the world, and to do more 
—to give every facility for the promotion of science in the direc- 
tion of the prevention of diseases that afflict mankind.” Lord 
Herschell, in moving the first resolution—‘‘ That the present is 
an appropriate time to inaugurate a work of national utility in 
honour of Edward Jenner,” pointed out that Jenner was the first 
to illustrate a principle which seemed destined to play an im- 
portant part in the history of preventive medicine. Surely this 
alone is a high tribute to Jenner and the value of his discovery. 
Tlis name is held in reverence by the highest men of science and 
the most civilised countries in the world. Some of these coun- 
tries have already commemorated his centenary. Are English- 
men to be behindhand in testifying their admiration of the man, 
and their sense of the benefits he has conferred on humanity ? 
The resolution was seconded by Prof. Michael Foster, who gave 
instances of the extension of the Jennerian principle to other 
diseases by Pasteur and other observers. Sir Alfred Lyall, in 
supporting the resolution, referred especially to the blessings 
which vaccination had already conferred upon the people of 
India. The resolution was then carried unanimously. 
Lord Lister moved the next resolution :—‘‘ That a subscrip- 
tion be set on foot with a view of promoting, in connection 
with the British Institute of Preventive Medicine, but in a 
manner distinguished by Jenner's name, researches on the lines 
which he initiated.” In speaking to the resolution (reports 
the British Medical Fournal), Lord Lister referred to a mistake 
in his address to the British Association at Liverpool. The state- 
ment was to the effect that smallpox was unknown in the German 
army as a result of the revaccination of all recruits. If he had 
stated that fatal smallpox was absolutely unknown in the German 
army, it would have been the literal treth. A recent instance of 
the application of the principle discovered by Jenner was Dr. 
Koch's discovery that by using the bile of an animal which had 
died of rinderpest to inoculate a healthy animal, that animal 
was rendered immune to the pestilence for some months at least, 
time could alone decide for how long. This was an exact parallel 
to the discovery of Jenner, and the simplicity of the method 
was such that it places in the hands of any farmer the possibility 
of protecting the whole of his herd on the appearance of the first 
case. Another example was the work now being done in India 
with regard to plague. Two such examples, both taken from a 
period so recent, and so brief, were sufficient to prove the prac- 
tical importance of work of this kind, And it was such work 
which the British Institute of Preventive Medicine was doing. 
That Institute had been the first in this country to supply the 
diphtheria antitoxic serum, the use of which had effected so 
remarkable a reduction in the mortality of the disease in those 
cases in which it could be employed early. The Institute had 
never ceased to improve the serum, until that which was issued 
now had six times the curative power of that first employed. 
The Institute also prepared tuberculin, which was capable of 
rendering such important services to the public health by facili- 
tating the early diagnosis of tuberculosis in cattle ; and mallein, 
which rendered similar services in the case of glanders. The 
Institute might claim, therefore, to be a work of utility, and it 
was a national institution, for it had upon its governing body 
representatives of public bodies in all three kingdoms. Thanks 
to the generosity of their Chairman, the Institute was in possession 
of a site upon which, owing also in part to his generosity, it had 
now nearly completed the erection of a suitable building for 
carrying on its work. But its income was only some 700/. a 
year ; the scope of its work was thus cramped, its officers, who 
gave their services in the true spirit of scientific devotion, were 
inadequately remunerated, and, unless a large measure of public 
support was accorded, the full benefits which the Institute was 
capable of rendering to the country could not be realised. If 
the response to the movement inaugurated by that meeting was 
as liberal as it should be, the Council of the Institute were pre- 
pared to agree that its name should be changed to that of the 
‘‘Jenner Institute.” If the response were less generous, they 
might still hope that the sum received would be sufficient to 
