The Ostrich. 339 
Her labour is in vain ; without fear, because God hath 
deprived her of wisdom ; neither has he imparted to her 
understanding. What time she lifteth up her head on 
high, she scorneth the horse and his rider." It appears, 
however, that the female Ostrich sits upon her eggs 
like other birds, although generally at night only, and 
brings up her young. The eggs are as large as a young 
child's head, with a hard stony shell, and one has been 
known to weigh upwards of three pounds. The time ot 
incubation is six weeks. That Ostriches have great 
affection for their offspring may be inferred from the 
assertion of Professor Thunberg, who says that he once 
rode past the place where a hen Ostrich was sitting in 
her nest, when the bird sprang up and pursued him, 
evidently with a view to prevent his noticing her eggs 
or young. Every time he turned his horse towards her 
she retreated ten or twelve paces, but as soon as he rode 
on again she pursued him till he had got to a consider- 
able distance from the place where he had started her. 
In the tropical regions, some persons breed Ostriches in 
flocks, for they may be tamed with very little trouble. 
When M. Adanson was at Podar, a French factory on 
the southern bank of the river Niger, two young but 
full-grown Ostriches, belonging to the factory, afforded 
him a very amusing sight. They were so tame that two 
little blacks mounted both together on the back of the 
largest. No sooner did he feel their weight than he 
began to run as fast as possible, and carried them several 
times round the village, and it was impossible to stop 
him otherwise than by obstructing the passage. This 
sight pleased M. Adanson so much that he wished it to 
be repeated, and, to try their strength, directed a full- 
grown negro to mount the smaller, and two others the 
larger of the birds. This burden did not seem at all 
disproportioned to their strength. At first they went at 
a tolerably sharp trot, but when they became a little 
heated they expanded their wings, as though to catch 
the wind, and moved with such fleetness that they 
scarcely seemed to touch the ground. The foot of the 
Ostrich has only two toes, one of which is extremely 
large and strong. 
