208 REPORT 
addled. Out of the other nest twelve young ostriches 
were hatched, which were carefully attended to by the 
parent bird, and all of which lived and grew to a 
large size. The ostrich, contrary to the received 
opinion, hatches its eggs by sitting on them, in the same 
way as most other birds ; both are seldom absent from 
the nest at any time ; the male sits even more closely 
than the female, and takes rather more than his share 
of the parental duties. While the eggs are being 
deposited in the nest, and during incubation, he is 
exceedingly pugnacious, and an enraged male ostrich 
is about as formidable looking an animal as one 
would care to meet. I have known one to break 
a rail in a strong four-rail fence by a kick of its 
powerful legs. Several people were attacked by 
one of them, and some rather badly hurt. One 
man who persisted in crossing the paddock in which 
the birds were kept, though warned of the danger, 
had his trousers torn from waistband to foot by the 
toe of the ostrich, which was inserted under his belt. 
Fortunately, the man sustained no serious injury. 
It is only at the breeding season that ostriches are 
dangerous, and the nest can always be approached on 
horseback without risk. 
The second year, only one nest was made, and the 
selection of the place was so unfavourable that rain 
filled the nest and spoiled the eggs, preventing increase 
for that year. Various accidents occurred to the birds, 
causing losses. One got killed by running against a 
fence, when an attempt was made to drive them into 
a yard ; one died from rheumatism, and several from 
cold in winter. In the third season, two nests were 
made, and a number of birds were hatched in one 
