with her only six months. Since then she has been entirely 
- fectly normal substitute for its natural nurse. — F. H. W 
758 ZOOLOGY. 
as follows :—The birds kept for breeding purposes, about three 
years old, are placed in separate paddocks, in pairs, and their — 
eggs are either hatched in the natural way or placed in incubators ae 
prepared for the purpose. By this means a larger proportion of 
eggs is hatched. The young birds are fed on grass, lucern, 
other vegetable matters, and are sheltered at night. Each pair of 
birds will produce about twenty chickens, which may be plucked 
when they are about eighteen months old, before which time the — 
feathers are not of much value. The price of good ostrich feathers, Í 
wholesale, is about 40 /. per pound weight. If the birds are well 
kept, and have plenty of exercise and food, their feathers are of 
good quality ; but the plumage of wild birds is considered superior 
to that of inferior tame ones. The value of each year’s plucking 
from the young birds is about 7 Z., and of the birds themselves 
six months old is 30 Z. to 357. The breeding birds are worth 
125 1. per pair.— Nature. 
Ne STL Stu ior ae ae eS ei a the Sec eed 
Case or a Doe Nourse a Kirren.— Mr. John Downing, 
residing at No. 27 Morgan Street, has a female dog of some breed — 
of setter, which has not been pregnant for upwards of three — 
years. At her last pregnancy she gave birth to six pups, of 
which one only was allowed to survive; this one was continued 
alone, and spends her days in a close yard and her nights in 
a house. 
She has always been averse to the society of cats, repelling all 
their advances towards friendship. About two months ago the ‘ 
family procured a very small kitten, and the dog was soon ob- 
served to keep it near her, and rather tagged it around. About 
four weeks ago the dog was observed to be nursing the kitten, and 
has steadily given it milk ever since. The four posterior mamm 
are a little tumefied, but the forward ones are as flat as in an 
unimpregnated puppy. Upon gentle pressure, an abundant fi 1 
of milk readily shows itself, and what seems remarkable, from all 
the teats alike. The kitten thrives vigorously, which seems 
demonstrate that the milk is a normal secretion. As soon as 
kitten approaches the dog, she lies down and offers herself to 
kitten as to her own offspring, and the kitten purrs itself to sleep 
while nursing, apparently regarding its adopted mother as ek 
70 Mulberry St., Hartford, Oct. 26, 1874. 
