ii6 HOME LIFE ON AN OSTRICH FARM. 



It is indeed no small trial, when, perhaps just as you 

 are comfortably seated at the breakfast table, the black 

 face of " April," " August," or " September "—fraught 

 with bad news, and looking very frightened and 

 ashamed — is suddenly thrust in at the door ; and, with 

 much rolling of white eyeballs, a tragic tale is told, in 

 the most dismal of voices, and with many harrowing 

 details, of how " Red Wing " or " White Neck " was 

 quei, and attacked the narrator up in the big camp ; 

 with the sad consequence that you. are now minus one 

 of the best birds on the farm. But the poor fellow 

 cannot be blamed or fined for defending his life ; orders 

 are given to pluck and bring down the unfortunate 

 bird's feathers — the last he will ever yield — and some- 

 how a dead bird's plumes always seem the most 

 beautiful — 



" And then to breakfast, with 

 What appetite you have." 



Toto, although in general no coward, could never, 

 after a severe kick he received on first coming to the 

 farm, be brought to face a savage bird. Collies can, 

 however, be made very useful in collecting and driving 

 ostriches ; and Mr. Evans, of Rietfontein, one of our 

 neighbours, had several which were perfectly trained ; 

 working as well with the birds as their relatives in 

 Scotland and Wales do with sheep. 



A few of our birds were fenced off in breeding-camps ; 

 each pair having a run of about one hundred acres. 

 One of these camps was directly opposite the house ; 

 and from the windows we could observe the regularity 



