150 O^^lTHOLOgr. Book II. 



tude, it is the Oflrich. When it holds up its Head it approacheth to the height of 

 two Yards. Pliny writes, that it exceeds the height of a horfeman fitting on horfe- 

 back : Which is to be underftood when it ftretches its Neck forth, and reaches up- 

 wards as high as it can. The Head is fmall, deprefled or flat-crown'd, and ( as 

 Aldrovandm truly ) like aGoofes: The Bill alfo is compreiTed, and compared with 

 the body very final], of a triangular figure, and horn colour, the tip being black. The 

 skin at the Nofthrils ends in a femicircle. The flit of the mouth is large, reaching 

 fo far that its extremes or Angles lie directly under the Eyes. The Eyes are great, 

 with hazel-coloured hides. Of all great birds this alone hath both Eye-lids [ upper 

 and lower ] as Pliny witnefleth. Which whether it be true or not we leave to be exa- 

 mined by others that have opportunity of feeing the bird. The Head and Neck, al- 

 moft as far as the Breaft, are bare of feathers, as are alfo the Thighs. The Head and 

 Neck are covered with a certain Down, or thin-fet hairs inftead of feathers. The 

 fides under the Wings, and the Thighs are abfolutely bare. The lower part of the 

 Neck where the feathers begin is white. The Wings are fmall, and altogether unufeful 

 for flying, defigned by Nature only to afiift the bird in running, being fpread and 

 moved. The feathers of the Back in the Cock are cole-black,in the Hen only dusky, 

 fo fbft that they referable a kind of Wool. The Wing- feathers are of the fame co- 

 lour Qwith the Back] beneath, but above in their upper part purely white. The 

 Tail is thick, bufhy, and round, not as in other Birds, to be fpread^out in breadth, 

 the'component feathers in the Cock being whitilh, in the Hen duskifb, with white 

 tops , which feathers are in great requeft'for Souldiers Hats, Helmets, &c. 



Its Neck and Legs are very long : It hath but two toes, wanting the back-toe and 

 inmoft foretoe. The outer toe in that we defcribed was five inches and an half long, 

 the other eight : The length of the whole Foot from the end of the heel eleven 

 Inches. The longer Toe was covered with twenty four great, disjoyned, annulary 

 fcales. This Toe is armed with a great, ftrong, black Claw 5 the other or outer Toe 

 had no Claw in the Bird we defcribed. The Toes are conne&ed with a thick, ftrong 

 membrane as far as the firft joynt. 



It fwallows Iron, Leather, Grafs, Bread, Hair, and whatever elfe you offer it,pro- 

 mifcuoufly : Howbeit it doth not concoct Iron and other hard things, but avoids them 

 entire by fiege. That we faw at Bruxels was ufually fed with bread mixt with hair. 

 Africa- produces this bird 5 in the Defarts whereof are fometimes teen fuch multitudes 

 of them in company, that to them that behold them afar off they feem to be Troops 

 or Armies of horfemen. They are alfo found abundantly in Arabia 3 and not left plen- 

 tifully in America, but of a different kind , as will appear by and by. 



They lay very great Eggs, viz,, fometimes as big as a young Childs head, and of 

 fifteen pound weight, covered with a very hard andftony (hell, which being buried 

 inthefand, are cheriihed only by the heat of the Sun till the Young be excluded. 

 For the Writers of Natural Hiftory do generally agree, that the old birds after they 

 have layed and covered their Eggs in the fand forfake them, and take no more care 

 of them. 



That Oftrich-feathers were much ufed by the Ancients for the adorning of Caps, 

 Helmets, &c. is manifeft by the teftimony of Pliny : And that ftill they retain their 

 efteem, being alfo ufed now adays for the fame purpofes every body knows. They 

 were alfo formerly wont to be employed, not only in Italy, but in England, for to 

 make Fans for Gentlewomen, to cool themfelves withal in the Summer time. 



§. II. 



* The American Of rich, called Nhanduguacu by theBrafilittns, Marggrav. 



THis fort is fomewhat lefs than the African : Their Legs are long , the lower about 

 a foot and half, the upper a foot. They have three Toes in each foot, armed 

 with thick, black, but not fharp Claws. One Toe ftanding backward, which is 

 round and grofs ; fo that they can hardly walk on a fmooth or boarded floor, but 

 eafily flip and fall. They carry their Necks bending like a Swan or Stork , being about 

 two foot in length. Their Heads are like thofe of Geefe. They have fair black Eyes : 

 A compreiTed or flat Bill, not very broad, two inches and an half long. They have 

 little Wings, unfit for flight, one of which they fpread and fetuplikea fail, to affift 

 them in running, which they do with that fpeed and fwiftnefs, that a good Grey- 

 hound can hardly overtake them. Their whole body is covered with grey feathers, 



which 



