OSTRICHES. 153 



keeps liimself healthy. Certainly ostriches occasionally 

 show a sad want of discrimination, and make choice of 

 articles which are quite unsuitable for their purpose. 

 The manager's lighted pipe, for instance, was snatched 

 and greedily swallowed by one of our birds before any 

 one could stop him ; and for a while the thief was very 

 anxiously watched to see if evil consequences would 

 ensue. Luckily, however, the strange fare did not 

 seem to disagree with him. Another bird picked a 

 gimlet out of a post, in which, for one. moment, it had 

 been carelessly left sticking — tossed it down his throat, 

 and was none the worse for it. 



Ostriches, like magpies, are attracted by everything 

 bright and glittering ; hence the frequent and just com- 

 plaints brought against them for theft. But their own 

 interior is the only hiding-place where they bestow the 

 precious stones and other articles of jewellery which, 

 whenever they have a chance, they will always steal. 



One day, while yet new to the colony, and to the 



ways of ostriches, I was standing with T by the 



side of one of the camps, looking over the fence at the 

 birds, and much amused by the curious, dancing manner 

 in which the creatures moved, as if hung on wires; 

 when suddenly one of them, with a motion as quick as 

 lightning, made a dash at my earring, a little round 

 knob of gold, exactly the size and colour of a mealie 

 (Indian corn seed), for which perhaps he took it ; and 

 I only drew back just in time to save it — and probably 

 a piece of the ear with it — from going down his throat. 



A newly-arrived gentleman was less fortunate. He, 



