Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-09
Ostrich Stories.


 l Ostriches have so frequently given extra | ordinary proof of their immunity from indi- gestion that men have ceased to be surprised | at the museums which periodically moved from the stomach of dead specimens. 1 There is still, however room for a good deal of astonishment and for some reflection. In l their anxiety to secure as much meat as they l can in as short time as possible, they swal- ] low their food, and any foreign matter that may be adhering to it, precipitately, and are l consequently very uncomfortable and melan- | choly. Birds are liable to the same afiiction, and there is no mistaking the inconvenience, l tending to low spirits, which caged pets l undergo when they have been over r-indulging | in the pleasures of the table. The E'sparrow- ] camel, :" however, hardly deserves to be called bird and it certainly is not beast, so that I analogies drawn from either order are scarce ! ly applicable.
 At the first settlement of the world, accord ing to oriental tradition, all the creatures up- on it were called up by Allah to be taught their several habits of life and to have their places on the earth allotted to them. The birds appeared, ''the total kinds of birds in orderly array on wing;'' but the ostrich, sec ing all the little feathered things go flying by, scorned to join them, and came to the con clusion that he could not be bird. In his pride he disregarded the summons, saying to himself, 'I suspect I am beast.' It was, however, the turn of the beasts next, and to
 
 of them had four legs apiece but, remarking that they had no plumes, he recovered his self-complacency. ''It is evident now," said he, ''that l am not beast; so 1t is probable that I am an angel" When the beasts had dispersed, the ostrich found himself alone with the bat and Allah looking out upon the great parade ground, saw these two standing together in expectation of special summons; but he put public affrontRon them by pre- tending not to notice them and retired with out assigning either of them any fixed place in creation The bat has been so ashamed of himself ever since that he only goes abroad when it is getting dark, and the ostrich with drew into the solitude of the desert. There it behaves as it likes, and regardless of the proprieties. Though bird, it has never tried to make nest; and though not beast 1t lows and roars like one. It lays eggs like fowl, but crops the herbage like cattle, wears hair on its back though it has only two legs; and IS altogether irregular and self oplnlonated person. That such creature should go picnicking off an ironmonger's stock in trade is, therefore, no more than might be expected from it's eccentric habits; and the pretense that it eats tenpenny nails to help it's digestion can only be expected as discreditable evasion of the truth.
 In Rome the other day ostrich managed to suffocate itself by pushing it's neck through between the bars, swallowing bunch of keys that had been dropped outside, and then trying to get it's heap back again. The re- suit was that it was choked and on it's stom- ach being examined for missing property the usual assortment of stones, nails, coins and beads was discovered, with, however, the in- teresting addition of silver medal of the Pope and the cross of an Italian order. By whom or when these honorable decorations were conferred" upon the sparrow-camel, no one knows but the ostrich, it seems, did its best to show it's appreciation of the dis tinction accorded it, and swallowed both the medal and the order. It had no buttonhole from which to display it's honors, but at all events 1t had Q coat-to it's stomach.