478 



BOOK X. 



THE NATURAL HISTOET OP BIRDS. 



CHAP. 1. (1.) THE OSTKICH. 



The history of the birds' follows next, the very largest of 

 which, and indeed almost approaching to the nature of quad- 

 rupeds, is the ostrich^ of Africa or' Ethiopia. This bird exceeds 

 in height a man sitting on horseback, and can surpass him. in 

 swiftness, as wings have been given to aid it in running ; ia 

 other respects ostriches cannot be considered as birds, and do 

 not raise themselves from the earth. They have cloven talons, 

 very similar to the hoof* of the stag ; with these theyfight, and 

 they also employ them in seizing stones for the purpose of 



1 Cnvier remarks, that the accounts given by the ancients of birds, are 

 enveloped in greater obscurity than their information on quadrupeds, or 

 iishes. The quadrupeds, he says, are not so numerous, and are known from 

 their characteristics. The fishes also, which the ancients so highly esteemed 

 as an article of food, were well known to them in general, and they have 

 repeated occasions to speak of them : but as to the birds, the augurs were 

 their principal informants. Pliny, in fact, often quotes their testimony ; 

 and we find, from what he says, that these men had not come to any agree- 

 ment among themselves as to what were the names of divers species of 

 birds, the movements of which announced, according to them, the success or 

 misfortune of states equally with individuals. This portion, in fact, of the 

 works of Pliny, Cuvier remarks, is an excellent commentary on the remark 

 of Cicero, who, an augur himself, asked the question, how two augurs could 

 look each other in the face without laughing. There are also several pas- 

 sages from Aristotle, who has, however, given but very little attention to 

 the exterior characteristics of birds : it is only from the similarity of their 

 habits and present names that we are able, in many cases, to guess what 

 bird it is that is meant. 



2 " Struthiocamelus :'■ from the Greek, signi^iug a "little sparrow," 

 and a " camel." Cuvier remarks, that Plin/s description is correct, and 

 that he is only mistaken in a few slight particulars. 



' Pliny perhaps here uses the conjunction " vel " in the explanatory 

 sense of " otherwise ;" intending to distinguish ^Ethiopian Africa from the 

 Boman province of that name. 



* Cuvier remarks, that there is some truth in this, so far as that the 

 ostrich has only two toes, like the stag and other ruminating animals ; but 

 then they are unequal in size, and not covered with hoofs. 



