OPENING ADDEESS. 11 



beautiful metallic reflections; all Ground Pigeons, and 

 all from Australia; as also the Crowned Pigeons of 

 the Nicobars. 



Beyond these, and domiciled in one of the houses were 

 African Ostriches, the finest in the country, the accommo- 

 dation being unequalled elsewhere. Here the Ostriches 

 were let out for air and exercise daily in spacious pad- 

 docks, with choice herbage; here they had space to 

 indulge to some extent in their very erratic style of 

 running ; somewhat in the manner of their relations 

 the Eheas, or so-called American Ostriches, the strong 

 point of which is their frequent and sudden turning at 

 right angles when at full speed, thus out-manceuvering a 

 horse, which necessarily shoots on ahead. The African 

 Ostrich does this in a fashion, but he has a habit peculiar 

 to himself: he sits down upon his haunches, draws his 

 neck in and downwards, and blushes till his neck looks 

 like a huge and limp German sausage. This he sways 

 from side to side of his body, with heavy blows and gro- 

 tesque noises. I have seen at Antwerp Gardens a living 

 male Somali Ostrich not long known, having a well 

 colouied neck and steel-blue leggings, who gave his mind 

 during our interview wholly and solely to " going in " for 

 me any way whatever, though fortunately perhaps for me, 

 no way could he discover. 



The following notes on the Llama tribe, the Red Deer 

 or Stag, and the Stanley Crag, by Lord Derby, are ex- 

 tracted from the " Gleanings " already referred to. 



" Specimens of the four kinds of the Llama tribe of 

 animals, namely, the Llama, Alpaca, Guanaco, and Vicuna, 

 have for several years been kept in life at Knowsley. 



" Of the four kinds the Alpaca is the most important, at 



