on the Display of the cock Ostrich.



287



The facts I have to record are in themselves not new to

science. I saw the display myself for the first time in June, 1906,

and sent a brief account of it to the Field , which was published

on July 7th of that year. I have seen it a few times since, and

long ago asked Mr. W. S. Berridge, F.Z.S., to be good enough to

watch for a chance of permanently recording the bird’s attitudes

by means of the camera. This he has at length succeeded in

doing. It is indeed to his enterprise and perseverance that I owe

the opportunity of publishing the photographs accompanying this

paper, which show, in a most realistic manner, the extraordinary

poses of the bird while so occupied.


Taking a position facing the lien, the cock bird drops to

his hocks in a squatting attitude, spreads his wings to their

fullest extent and lowers his tail till the long feathers touch the

ground. Then with his neck curved like a capital S and inclined

backwards over his shoulder, the vocal sac at the same time being

distended, he sways slowly and rhythmically from side to side,

touching the ground first on one side then on the other with the

tips of his wings, and not infrequently setting their white plumes

ashake when they reach his highest point, his neck the while

being swung from right to left and swept with a backward move¬

ment over the base of each wing in turn as it is lowered towards

the ground. This action is kept up for ten minutes or more.

The bird then suddenly rises to his feet, rushes towards the hen

with wings outspread, and sometimes recommences the perform¬

ance at close quarters, sometimes brings it to a close by stamping

on the ground like a soldier rapidly ‘ marking time.’ I have never

myself seen the birds pair at the finish of the display. Perhaps

under natural conditions this is the final episode of the show.

And I have never heard the bird make any sound while display¬

ing, despite the distention of his vocal sac, although it is no

uncommon thing to hear him roar at other times in the spring

and summer, as he struts about with inflated neck. One other

fact of interest is this : the hen does not seem to pay the slightest

attention to the cock during his performance. On the contrary

she treats him and his behaviour with the most supreme

indifference.


That the main facts above described are not new has



