478 
BOOK X. 
THE NATURAL HISTOEY OF BIRDS. 
CHAP. 1. (1.) — THE OSTKICH. 
The history of the birds ^ follows next, the very largest of 
which, and indeed almost approaching to the nature of quad- 
rupeds, is the ostrich^ of Africa or^ ^Ethiopia. This bird exceeds 
in height a man sitting on horseback, and can surpass him in 
swiftness, as wings have been given to aid it in running ; in 
other respects ostriches cannot be considered as birds, and do 
not raise themselves from the earth. They have cloven talons, 
very similar to the hoof* of the stag ; with these they fight, and 
they also employ them in seizing stones for the purpose of 
1 Cuvier remarks, that the accounts given by the ancients of birds, are 
enveloped in greater obscurity than their information on quadrupeds, or 
fishes. The quadrupeds, he says, are not so numerous, and are known from 
their characteristics. The fishes also, which the ancients so highly esteemed 
as an article of food, were well known to them in general, and they have 
repeated occasions to speak of them : but* as to the birds, the augurs were 
their principal informants. Pliny, in fact, often quotes their testimony ; 
and we find, from what he says, that these men had not come to any agree- 
ment among themselves as to what were the names of divers species of 
birds, the movements of which announced, according to them, the success or 
misfortune of states equally with individuals. This portion, in fact, of the 
works of Pliny, Cuvier remarks, is an excellent commentary on the remark 
of Cicero, who, an augur himself, asked the question, how two augurs could 
look each other in the face without laughing. There are also several pas- 
sages from Aristotle, who has, however, given but very little attention to 
the exterior characteristics of liirds : it is only from tlie similarity of their 
habits and present names that we are able, in many cases, to guess what 
bird it is that is meant. 
2 *' Struthiocamelus :" from the Greek, signifying a 'kittle sparrow," 
and a camel." Cuvier remarks, that Pliny's description is correct, and 
that he is only mistaken in a few slight particulars. 
^ Pliny perhaps here uses the conjunction " vel " in the explanatory 
sense of otherwise ;" intending to distinguish -Ethiopian Africa from the 
Roman province of that name. 
* Cuvier remarks, that there is some truth in this, so far as that the 
ostrich has only two toes, like the stag and other ruminating animals ; but 
then they are unequal in size, and not covered with hoofs. 
