230 REPORT 
beak, ard the long snake-like neck winds under the 
arms and round the neck of the operator in a some- 
what alarming way, while the work is going on. It is 
very rough work to handle them, and bruised hands, 
arms, and lingers, are generally exhibited after a day's 
ostrich plucking. As only a few feathers are taken 
from each, the bird does not suffer much from cold in 
consequence. 
; The only feathers of any great value, are the large 
feathers of the wing, of which there are about twelve 
in each. These should be taken before they are quite 
matured, or the delicate plumage gets worn and scanty ; 
if too soon taken, they are not fully developed and are 
of less value. Their growth should be watched, so as to 
get them at their best, but I could not manage this well, 
as the birds, from not being fed regularly, got too wild, 
and could not be got into the yard except after a month's 
feeding, and some of them have seldom or never been 
plucked, and cannot be got to e«ter the yard. 
The food of the ostrich consists of vegetable sub- 
stances, seeds, and grain ; that best suited to them 
being maize, but they are not at all choice in their 
food, and scarcely anything . is rejected by them. 
They manage to subsist very well on the natural 
pastures, except when moulting, when they become 
weak and require feeding. 
It is said that, in Arabia, the swiftest greyhound 
is not a match for the ostrich in speed, and that the 
Arabs are obliged to trip the bird by throwing a 
stick between its legs, or disabling it otherwise, before 
they can overtake it with their swift horses. In 
running, it spurns the small stones behind it, greatly 
to the annoyance of its pursuer. 
