82 
GUIDE TO THE 
this noise its neck becomes immensely inflated with air. 
The male bird in this enclosure has a very peculiar 
habit which he generally manifests in the morning or 
early part of the day. He sits down in his usual fashion, 
but throws his head and neck backwards on to his back, 
stretching out his wings and plumes, so that they are 
displayed to the greatest advantage ; then he sways his 
head and body from side to side with a wonderful regu¬ 
larity and rather rapidly, and this may last for nearly 
half on hour. It would appear that this habit is sexual and 
is the equivalent of the strutting of a peacock or turkey. 
The ostrich of Africa is a most valuable bird on account 
of its feathers which always command a high mercantile 
value. In Southern Africa and also in Egypt there are 
regular ostrich farms in which the eggs are artificially 
hatched and the birds kept within extensive enclosures, or 
runs, in which they are fed and as carefully treated as the 
most valuable cattle, and solely for their feathers which 
are collected and exported to Europe, realizing many 
thousands of pounds sterling annually. An enterprise of 
this kind, which has so generally proved remunerative, 
might be successfully undertaken on the confines of the 
desert of Western India and would be a new and profitable 
industry to India. 
The ostriches are not confined to Africa, but they are 
represented in South America by four species belonging 
to the genus Rhea. 
In one of the divisions of this piece of ground, the 
Emu is generally to be found represented by one or more 
specimens. This species, Dromczus n o vce - holla n dice, is, 
as its name indicates, an inhabitant of the Australian 
region. This bird goes in pairs, and the male is smaller 
