THE OSTRICH. 329 



young that we have noticed in other birds, and in animals. 

 The female of a pair in Paris died through swallowing a 

 three-cornered piece of glass which a glazier had dropped 

 into their cage, after which the mate pined away and died 

 in a few weeks. Of their care of their young Captain 

 Gumming says: 



" I fell in with a troop of about twelve young ostriches, 

 which were not much larger than Guinea-fowls. I was 

 amused to see the mother endeavour to lead us away, exactly 

 like a wild duck, spreading out and drooping her wings, and 

 throwing herself down on the ground before us as if wounded, 

 while the cock bird cunningly led the brood away in an 

 opposite direction." Professor Thunberg once rode past the 

 place where a hen Ostrich was sitting in her nest; when 

 the bird sprang up, and pursued him, evidently with a view 

 to prevent his noticing her eggs or young. Every time he 

 turned his horse towards her she retreated ten or twelve 

 paces; but as soon as he rode again she pursued him, till 

 he had got to a considerable distance from the place where 

 he had started her. 



The Rhea. The Rhea is a beautiful bird of the ostrich 

 The Cassowary, type belonging to South America. There are 

 The Emu. several species, known as the Gommon Rhea, 

 the Great-billed Rhea, and Darwin's Rhea, the latter belong- 

 ing to Patagonia. A Common Rhea bred some time ago in 

 the Zoological gardens, when the male bird discharged the 

 duties of incubation. The Cassowary and the Emu belong 

 to Australia. The Cassowary resembles the ostrich in form, 

 but is not so large. It stands about five feet. Like all these 

 birds it is unable to fly, but is very swift of foot. It can 

 kick too, with great violence, as dogs have sometimes found 

 to their cost. The Emu is a very large bird and is said 

 sometimes to exceed six feet in height. 



Mr. Bennett says:— "The length of its legs and the muscu- 

 larity of its thighs enable it to run with great swiftness; and as 



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