Cranes, Efr., In Oaptivifi/. 
217 
mixed company, and ;iro i-(>asonabI.v Iiardy whon thoy have 
got ovei' tho ofTocts of tlicii' jounioy. T'nfoiluiiately wlicii 
newly impoi ttMl, tliey ai'c dfridcdly " kitlh; catMe " to deal 
with (ispccially tlio South Anioidcaii species. Ikdiifj hy nature 
luaiidy or entirely animal feeders, it is not suri)rising 
thai the\- are apt to sutt'ei- fi'om the elu'inj^e lo a vegetable diet: 
new ari i\als should receive whatever food they liave l)een ric- 
custonied to while in the dealer's hands, plus soaked wheat, 
hi'eacl, and shidiiii)s, very fiiudy minced up and put in a pail 
of water. Until their plumage has recovered some of its 
natural smootlmess and gloss, they should only be allowed 
access to a limited supjily of water. 
Flamingoes do best when turned out on a large lake 
with a fairly hard bottom. Small ponds with deep sticky 
mud do not suit them, but they will do well in a broad shallow 
swamp, even if the water is decidedly foul and stagnant in sum- 
mer. During severe fi'ost they are best driven under shelter, 
as, although they may not actually suffer nuich harm, they are 
evidently acutely miserable when obliged to stand for long on 
ice and freezing ground. 
The larg~er members of the Ostrk ir family (Struthion- 
idiir) are not difficult to keep in captivity when plenty of 
space is available. The African Ostrich has, I believe, rather 
a reputation for delicacy in close confinement, but when al- 
lowed access to a large grass i)addock, it will be found hardy, 
long-lived, and absolutely indifferent to cold. 
Under such conditions the hens lay freely in the spring 
and early summer months, and although it is not always easy 
bo obtain fertile eggs and a cock bird willing to assist in the 
duties of incubation, there is no reason why Ostriches should 
not be bred and reared in England with the same success as 
on the Continent. 
When allowed plenty of liberty Ostriches feed mainly 
on grass, requiring cabbage and biscuit during the winter 
months, and a good supply of large grit at all times of the 
year. 
The cocks become very savage duidng the breeding 
season, and ai'e always more or less unsafe. 
Emus {Dromaeiis novae -hollandiae) have been kept and 
bred in more than one English park. They are perfectly 
