BY JAS. ANDKEW. 



177 



are exceedingly well developed, and are destitute of feathers, 

 the legs and feet massive, the toes, two only in number, of 

 unequal length. The body feathers in the male are deep 

 black, the wing flights and tail feathers are, in strong contrast, 

 pure white. The plumage of the female is a uniform brownish 

 grey, but specimens are not infrequently met with having 

 white wing and tail plumes, and I have seen domesticated 

 birds of both sexes with spangled black or brown and white 

 body feathers. 



A peculiarity of an ostrich feather is that the quill is 

 exactly in the centre of the webs instead of, as in the plumage 

 of all other birds, more on one side than the other. This is 

 accepted as the origin of their use as an emblem of justice 

 in Egyptian hieroglyphics. 



It appears that the geographical distribution of the ostrich 

 was formerly much greater than at the present time, although 

 even now its range is more extended than is generally 

 supposed, including some parts of Asia, Arabia, and Northern 

 and Southern Africa. 



In a condition of nature ostriches are polygamous, and 

 their nests, mere shallow depressions in the soil, are resorted 

 to by several members of the same family, and in consequence 

 the eggs they contain, laid at very varying intervals, are to 

 be found at all stages of incubation. Contrary to a generally 

 accepted belief the sun's rays are not depended upon to hatch out 

 the chicks, the birds of both sexes taking turns of duty on the 

 eggs. The hen bird lays every other day until some twenty 

 or more are in the nest. The period of incubation is 42 

 days. The eggs are from 5 inches to 6 inches long, and 4 to 

 5 inches broad, weighing between 3 and 4 lbs., or of about 

 24 times the capacity of those of the common fowl ; they 

 vary in appearance in different countries, some being pitted, 

 all over with small dark coloured spots, others are a smooth 

 creamy white, without blemish of any description, and resemble 

 polished ivory. As an article of diet they are often of the 

 greatest service, a large one, according to one writer, is said 

 to furnish a meal for ten men. Hunters cook them in the 

 shells placed on the embers of the camp fire, a hole knocked 

 in the upper end, and the contents briskly beaten up with a 

 forked stick during the operation. In puddings and custards 

 they are frequently used by Ostrich farmers, and in this con- 

 dition, as well as in the more primitive form, I have frequently 

 had occasion to commend them as a welcome change in a 

 very limited bill of fare. The shells, about l/16th in. thick, 

 are almost indispensable to the Bushmen of the Kalahari 

 desert, for, filled with water, stores of them are buried for 

 use on their return journeys from hunting expeditions or 

 marauding forays, whilst pursuing parties, being unable to 

 carry a sufficient supply, are unable to continue the chase. 



