THREE GREAT BIRDS 179 



in a separate enclosure in the farm, and there 

 are no other ostriches or anything else to dis- 

 turb their domestic life. The first time Martha 

 was ready to lay her eggs, George prepared a 

 nest for her by crouching down and scooping 

 out a rough hole in the ground. Martha laid 

 her first egg promptly, and every other day 

 deposited another one in the nest until there 

 were fifteen ; and during this time the nature 

 of George "Washington underwent a complete 

 change. 



He had been a fairly good tempered, placid 

 bird until then, showing no particular in- 

 telligence or excitability; but, as soon as the 

 breeding season began, he was constantly 

 challenging all who approached to fight with 

 him. This challenge to fight was conveyed to 

 the stranger by crouching down, spreading 

 out all his beautiful wing feathers, and mov- 

 ing his flat head from side to side in an un- 

 mistakably threatening manner. An angry 

 male ostrich in breeding time is an extremely 

 dangerous creature, for he is the largest and 

 most powerful of all the large and powerful 



