OSTRICHES. 9 



habiting Africa and Arabia. In former times their range was much 

 more extensive, and fossil forms have been found in the Pliocene of the 

 Siwalik Hills of India and in the Upper Miocene of Samos. The 

 Common or Northern Ostrich (S. camelus) (3) is found in Northern 

 and Western Africa, and ranges eastwards to Abyssinia, Arabia, and 

 South Palestine ; a somewhat different form, S. massaicus, inhabits 

 East Africa; in Somali-land and Central Africa S. molybdophanes 

 occurs ; and in South Africa its place is taken by S. australis (2), which 

 is exhibited in all stages of plumage, from the nestling to the adult, in 

 the central Case. 



The males are larger than the females, standing about eight feet 

 high, and in all the species are black with white wings and tail. They 

 may, however, be readily distinguished inter se, for S. camelus and 

 S. massaicus have the skin of the head and neck of a bright flesh- 

 colour, while in the other two species it is grey; S. camelus and 

 S. molybdophanes have a horny shield on the crown, which is wanting 

 in S. massaicus and S. australis. The plumage of the females and 

 young males is brownish-grey. The general tint of the eggs laid by 

 all four species is pale cream-colour, but the texture of the shell differs 

 greatly. 



Ostriches inhabit the sandy wastes and deserts, as well as districts 

 studded with low bushes, and are often found associating with herds of 

 zebras and antelopes. Though as many as fifty individuals may some- 

 times be seen in company, they are more often met with in parties of 

 five or six, especially during the breeding-season, when the polygamous 

 male is accompanied by several hens. The hens belonging to one male 

 lay their eggs in the same nest, which is a shallow excavation dug in 

 the sand. As many as thirty eggs are sometimes deposited in the pit, 

 and many more are dropped around which are said to serve as food 

 for the newly-hatched young. The contents of an egg are equal to 

 about two dozen hen's eggs. The male undertakes nearly the whole 

 duty of incubation, which lasts for six or seven weeks, being occasion- 

 ally relieved by the hens during the daytime. He especially looks 

 after the nest at night, and broods over the eggs, though in manv 

 tropical countries the latter are covered over with sand and left to the 

 heat of the sun during the daytime. 



The Ostrich was formerly much hunted for the sake of its curled 

 plumes, but since the establishment of Ostrich-farms the chase, except 

 for sport, has been almost abandoned. On the large South Afj'ican 

 farms, where numbers of birds are annually reared, the plumes are 

 plucked every six or nine months. 



