Ss Oftrich, 
46 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
its having no back toe, but only a knob inftead, it 
can hardly fupport itlelf on flippery ground; yet it 
Can run very faft, and a dog can fcarcely catch it. 
~ It has been faid, that it is the male bird in this 
{pecies that fits: that he gets together feveral fea 
_ males, and that as foon as they have laid their egos 
dn one neft, that he drives them ‘away and fits © 
himfelf: that he puts afide one or two egos, 
3 ~ 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 infeéts, 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. It 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 infeéts; but this might be only an 
accident, and not contrived by the old bird. 
toe he young of the American Oftrich are very 
_ tame, and. will follow men, but they foon become J 
wild as they grow older. The feathers of thefe 
birds are not nearly fo beautiful as thofe of the 
pee  The@ 
