OSTRICH EGGS. 
291 
key in her hand. She reached the spot where the bird was "on show; " 
but, beliold! he gravely bore down upon her, snatclied the key from 
her hand, and swallowed it — thus effectually excluding the gossip from 
admission to her own house. And what says Matheson, in reference to 
a female ostrich of which he became the possessor ? Nothing, he de- 
clares, disturbed her digestion ; dyspepsia was an evil undreamt of in 
her philosophy. One day a Muscovy duck brought a promising brood 
into the world, and in due time proudly led them forth into the yard. 
Up, with step solemn and stately, marched the ostrich, and, with the 
mildest and most benignant expression of countenance imaginable, 
swallowed all the ducklings, one after the other, as an Apicius swallows 
oysters ; regarding the indignant hisses and bristling plumage of the 
hapless and helpless mother with serene composure. 
Livingstone disputes the assertion of many naturalists and travellers 
that the ostrich is polygamous. He adds that the female begins to lay 
her eggs before she has chosen a spot for her nest. Solitary eggs, 
Avhich the Bechuanas name lesatla, are thus found lying all over the 
country, and furnish the jackal with a welcome feast. The nest is 
nothing more than a hollow scratched in the sand, and measuring about 
a yard in diameter. She seems indisposed to fix upon a situation for 
it, and often lays in the resort of another ostrich. 
Some of the eggs contain small accretions of the matter which 
forms the shell ; a fact that has originated the notion repeated by 
Barrow and others that the eggs have stones in them. Both male 
and female take part in the incubation. Several eggs are left 
outside the nest; and these, it is supposed, are intended to pro- 
vision the youngsters first hatched, until, the rest coming forth, 
all are able to start together in search of food. " I have several 
times seen young in charge of a cock," says Livingstone, " who made 
a very good attempt at appearing lame, in the plover fashion, in 
order to draw off the attention of pursuers. The little ones squat down 
and remain immovable when too small to run far, but attain a wonder- 
ful degree of speed when about the size of common fowls." 
The vital power of the egg is remarkable. One which had been 
kept in a room for upwards of three months, in a temperature of about 
