348 A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



place when they are in a pleasant mood ; but at other times one may be 

 seen chasing another from quite a different cause. Lately two old speci- 

 mens were introduced into an enclosure in which a pair of recent arrivals 

 had already been placed; everything went on satisfactorily for about 

 an hour, but presently one of the older birds — a female — began chasing 

 one of the new ; what provocation it had received was not known. It not 

 only chased the poor thing, but kicked forward on its back with its 

 powerful and massive limbs whenever it had an opportunity ; ferocity, 

 pride, and a determination to vanquish were plainly visible in the large 

 glaring eyes of the one, whereas the other looked extremely confused 

 and frightened. An emu has been known to behave as if it were 

 trained to perform ; on the approach of the keeper with the morning 

 meal the bird would sit on its tail end, a few feet from him, and having 

 balanced itself properly on its limbs, would, in a most deliberate 

 manner , approach the man, inch by inch, swaying the head and neck 

 from side to side in a most fascinating manner. 



(401) THE OSTRICH. 

 (STRUTHIO CAMELUS- Linn.) 



The ostrich is the largest of birds ; it has a small head, with a flat 

 crown, a short, broad, and depressed bill, a long and muscular neck, 

 a stout body, with wings incapable of flight ; extremely muscular 

 thighs ; the feet have two toes, which are unequal in length and directed 

 anteriorly ; the sole of the foot is furnished with a pad. Young ostriches 

 have a mottled dark-brown plumage, with yellowish white quills and 

 tail feathers ; these colours, in adult male birds, change into black and 

 pure white, respectively, whereas the females become uniformly 

 dark grey, or greyish brown ; the young birds have no down in the 

 neck, the adult ones have. Two forms of ostriches are generally seen ; 

 the visible portions of the skin of the neck and thigh are flesh-coloured 

 in some, whilst in others they are bluish ; the former are said to be from 

 Northern and the latter from Southern Africa. 



JSab. — The ostrich is found throughout Africa, from Southern 

 Algeria to the interior of the Cape Colony. 



Length of life in captivity. 



Six years and a few months have been the longest period during 

 which an ostrich has lived in this garden. The damp moist climate 

 of Bengal does not suit the constitution of these birds. 



Treatment in health. 



Sousing. — A shed to protect the bird from draughts and cold 

 during the winter nights, and an open-air promenade attached to it are 

 the principal requisites ; during the wet weather it may be necessary 

 to keep it in-doors continually for several days, and the habitation 

 therefore need to be of sufficient length to allow the bird to walk up 

 and down, as is its wont, during this forced confinement ; the floor of the 

 shed should be somewhat higher than the level of the ground, and 



