THE AFRICAN-OSTRICH. 379 



But whether the timid, tall Rhea was there, 

 As faithful historian, I cannot declare. 

 Still, still doth the hunter, and thinks it no crime, 

 This tribe closely pursue. — Oh, when come shall the 

 time, 



is occasionally domesticated, and that the finest feathers are 

 those obtained from the domesticated bird, from which they 

 are cut about thrice in two years. The skin is substituted for 

 leather by the Arabians. The flesh is said to be but indifferent 

 food, and eaten only by the Africans. The cry of this bird is 

 similar to that of a lion, but shorter. 



Various accounts of the eggs and incubation of this bird have 

 been published ; the following is the most authentic, for which 

 I am indebted to Dr. Latham's work. The male is polyga- 

 mous, and, as has been stated, most probably highly salacious, 

 he being frequently found with two or three, or even five, fe- 

 males, who lay their eggs, which are white, in concert, to the 

 number of ten or twelve each, which they all hatch together, 

 the male taking his turn of sitting among them ; between 

 sixty and seventy eggs have been found in one nest. The egg 

 holds five pints and a quarter of liquid. Small oval pebbles, 

 the size of a pea, of a pale yellow colour, are often found in the 

 eggs ; from nine to twelve of these have been found, according 

 to Mr. Barrow, in one egg. The time of incubation is six weeks. 

 This takes place, it is said, at different times of the year, de- 

 pending upon the climate and latitude, whether north or south ; 

 it is also said that the mode of incubation is different in different 

 places ; thus, in very warm climates, the bird scarcely sits 

 upon her eggs at all, the heat of the sun being sufficient to 

 bring the young bird to maturity ; that, as the climate increases 

 in coldness, the female is more assiduous in her attentions. 



Notwithstanding its size, it is generally considered, and 

 indeed is, a very stupid bird, displaying little intelligence or 

 ingenuity of any kind ; and, although it is occasionally ridden 



