OSTRICH 
207 
The prize proved a male, and, though the blackest in 
the troop, had hardly attained the fullest glory of maturity. 
An ostrich, by the way, caught as a chick on the Sobat 
and kept in captivity by our friend the Rev. D. S. Oyler 
at the American Mission, did not acquire the full black 
plumage till rather over two years of age. The stomach 
of our bird contained broken bits of jointed cactus, seeds, 
stones, and water. Though the ostrich is the biggest of 
living birds, and one of the wariest and most keen of sight 
to boot, yet it possesses a brain no bigger than that 
of a crow! We dined on its flesh, which was pronounced 
all right by those who know. 
We had seen ostriches, singly or in pairs—once a 
dozen together, including a magnificent male—both on the 
Zeraf River and along the “western bend”; but always 
either on horizon-wide prairie or among bush that forbade 
hope of a shot. Once, however, we threw a chance away. 
It was in the Nuer country, and for the first time in 
remembrance Lowe and I had landed without our rifles. 
Instantly we sighted a pair of ostriches—superb adults— 
making riverwards for their matutinal drink. Half an hour 
was lost in sending back for the forgotten rifles. Mean¬ 
while the ostriches had quenched their thirst and were 
slowly retiring inland. There was loose forest two miles 
away, and by a tremendous sprint and some masterly 
manoeuvring on L.’s part, we actually succeeded in 
cutting the game out to landward. Presently the 
ostriches were no more than 200 yards away, the coal- 
black cock for fleeting moments in full view among 
scattered trees. Everything depended on instant action. 
L. relied on me to take a quick shot with the telescope-sight. 
Alas! I lost one precious second mopping from my eyes 
the flood of blinding perspiration that poured into them— 
verily 1 was the only moist spot over leagues of that 
arid veld!—and the waste of that second cost the chance. 
Ere I could fire, the game had moved a few yards and 
was out of sight. We followed on, but the ostriches 
