SOUTHERN AFRICA. 45 
iugly vicious. One of the English dragoons persisted in 
mounting the female. She kicked and plunged, and laid 
herself down, but to no purpose ; the man kept his seat ; till 
taking a leap from the high bank of the river, she threw both 
herself and the rider into the water ; but, still keeping hold 
of the bridle, she dragged him to the shore, when, walking 
up quietly to him, she put her head down to his face and 
completely bit off his ear. 
On many parts of the great desert we saw numbers of os- 
triches scowering the plains and waving their black and white 
plumes in the wind. This is a signal to the Hottentots 
that their nests are not far distant, especially if they wheel 
round the place from whence they started up ; for when they 
have no nest they make olT immediately on being disturbed, 
with the wing-feathers close to the body. There is some- 
thing in the economy of this animal different in general from 
that of the rest of the feathered race. It seems to be the 
link of union, in the great chain of created beings, that con- 
nects the winged with the four-footed tribe. Its strong-jointed 
legs and cloven hoofs are well adapted for speed and for de- 
fence. The wings and all its feathers are insufficient to raise 
it from the ground ; its camel-sha[)ed neck is covered with 
hair ; its voice is a kind of hollow mournful lowing, and it 
grazes on the plain with the qua-cha and the zebra. Among 
the very few polygamous birds tiiat are found in a state of 
nature, the ostrich is one. The male, distinguished by its 
glossy black feathers from the dusky grey female, is generally 
seen in company with two or tluee, and frequently as many 
as five, of the latter. These females lay their eggs in oin5 
