THE OOLOGIST'S ADVERTISER. 



THE OSTRICH. 



Written for the Oologist's Advertiser. 



The ostrich is the largest of living birds, 

 being often eight feet in height. The largest 

 and most valuable are found in southern 

 Africa. They are driven down by hundreds, 

 from the interior of tlie continent, to the 

 large ostrich farms which are near the 

 southern coast of Africa. As with other 

 birds and animals the ostrich is fast disap- 

 pearing before the persecution of man. 



The males are of a glossy black color, 

 with the exception of the loose feathers of 

 the wings and tail which are white, and are 

 the ones most chiefly used by ladies for hat 

 plumes. The females are of a brownish 

 gray color, and their feathers are less valu- 

 able than th.jse of the male brids. 



The head and neck are nearly bare, and 

 the feathers of the body are so loose that 

 the air can pass freely through them, and at 

 the same time shield it from the intense 

 heat of the sun. 



The eyesight and hearing of the ostrich 

 are very sharp, and as they are very swift 

 they are hard to catch, often outrunning the 

 fastest horse. They cannot fly but use their 

 wings in running, and sometimes go at the 

 rate of thirty miles an hour. 



They live chiefly on fruits, grain, leaves, 

 snails, insects, and swallow a great many 

 stones to aid in digestion, and have been 

 known to gulp down pieces of iron, glass, 

 leather and other hard substances. An 

 ostrich kept in a menagerie once swallowed 

 some copper coins, and a piece of a parasol 

 handle, but they proved two much for its 

 stomach and the bird died. 



The ostrich is sometimes very stupid and 

 the Arabs have the proverb, "As stupid as 

 an Ostrich." It is said that when one of these 

 great birds is hard-pressed by the hunter, 

 it will thrust its head into the sand, and im- 

 agine that it cannot be seen, and it is also 

 stated that it will bear a man on its back. 

 These facts however are but traditions, as 



the bird does not hide from danger but is 

 ready for a fight, and they are seldom, if 

 ever Msed for riding because it has a very 

 weak back. Its strength lies chiefly in its 

 breast and feet. 



The Bushmen of South America catch 

 them in a very singular manner. They 

 cover their bodies with the skin of an 

 ostrich, and by acting like one, get near 

 enough to the foolish birds to shoot them 

 with poisoned arrows. 



Many of these birds are now kept on farms 

 at the Cape of Good Hope for the purpose 

 of obtaining their feathers. The fields in 

 which they are kept are sowed with grass 

 and this forms their chief food. 



The South American Ostrich differs from 

 the real ostrich, though its general shape is 

 nearly the same, it is only about half as 

 large, has no tail feathers and has three 

 toes while the African ostrich has two. 

 In South America they are called the Nan- 

 du. They are very swift, but are ridden 

 down by men on horse back, and caught 

 with the lasso or bolas. 



About ten years ago the Ostrich Farming 

 was first introduced into America, the first 

 season here was a failure but since then it 

 has greatly developed, and it is now a profit- 

 able business. 



This bird makes its nest in the sand by 

 scooping out a hole some six feet in diameter 

 in which they lay from ten to twentv eggs. 

 The eggs are very large some being 14 1-2 

 by 15 7-8 inches, and hold as much as two 

 dozen hens eggs. They are much sought 

 after by collectors, and good prices are ob- 

 tained for them. Unlike other eggs they 

 have to be hung up and cured before they 

 are ready for market. It is really a wonder 

 there are any ostriches left in the world, 

 because they never take care of their eggs, 

 but just bury them in the sand of the 

 desert and leave them to luck and to be 

 hatched out by the sun. It must be lone- 

 some and somewhat surprising for an ostrich 

 to come out of its shell and confront a 



