Seow ge A ee 
THE AMERICAN OSTRICH 
the humming birds. The mysterious nature of the kiwi 
is emphasized by its weird silence even when attacked 
by beasts or handled by man. For it can cry and does 
during the breeding season, the cry being, as it is sup- 
posed, a means of communication between the two 
sexes. The female has the louder and a husky voice, 
the male has a more piping call, the voice difference 
being in accord with the reversed relative positions of 
the male and female bird. The reserved character 
of the kiwi has led to the supposition that it was rarer 
than is actually the case, and has given rise to myths. 
One of these legends concerns its mode of incubation. 
It was held that the apteryx fell in with the general 
topsy-turviness of things antipodean, and after building 
a nest incubated the young from below. This fable 
was disproved by the nesting ofa pair at the Zoo a good 
many years ago. 
THE RHEA 
The South American ostrich is coloured of an agreeable 
grey with black wings, a plan of colour which is, in 
fact, not widely different from that of the hen ostrich 
of Arabia and Africa. It is, however, quite a distinct 
bird with no more than general points of resemblance 
to its Old World relative. As the two birds are as a rule 
to be seen side by side in enclosures at the Zoo, their 
points of difference as well as of likeness can be easily 
appreciated. The ostrich has a larger body, but rather 
more feeble wings ; its toes are but two, and the difference 
between the two sexes is at once apparent ; the male has 
the fine black and white plumes so desirable in com- 
merce. The rhea has quite good wings for a ratite 
bird, so good that it could almost fly if the feathers 
were not of the usual limp character of those of the 
ratite or struthious birds. It has also a more per- 
fectly framed organ of voice than its struthious allies, 
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