46. THE NATURAL HISTORY: 
its having no back toe, but only a knob inftead, it 
can hardly fupport itfelf on flippery ground; yetit 
ean run very fait, and a dog can fcarcely catch it. 
It has been faid, that it is the male bird in this 
fpecies that-fits: that he gets together feveral fe. 
males, and that as foon as they have laid their egos 
in one neft, that he drives them away and fits 
hirnfelf: that he puts afide one or two eggs, 
which he breaks as foon as the young in the other 
eggs are hatched. ‘Thefe eggs are addle: as foon : 
as they are broken a number of flies, and beetles, 
and other infe€ts, come and fettle upon them, and | 
upon thefe infects the young ones feed. But this _ 
is not very likely, for it feems very unnatural for 
the male bird to fit. Jt is very poffible, indeed, — 
that one or-two of the eggs in a neft may have 
been addle, and that when they have been broken, 
flies, and beetles, and other infects, may have 
come ‘to them, and that the young birds may have 
fed upon thefe infe&ts ; but this might be only an 
accident, and not contrived by the old bird. 
The young of the American Oftrich are very 
‘tame, and will follow men, but they foon become. 
wild as they grow older. The feathers of thele 
birds are not nearly fo beautiful as thofe of the 
Oftrich. 
k 7 | Tie 

