The Osceola times., 1880-07-17
The Ostrich's Digestive Powers.
London Daily Telegraph.

Ostrichcs have so frequently given ex-
trrOrdinary proof OF their immunity
from Indigestion that men have ceased
10 be su rprsed at the museums which
are periodically removed from the bo-
dies of dead specimens. There is still,
however room for good deal of aston
lshment and for some reflection. In
their anxiety to secure as much meat as
they can in as short a time as possible,
they swallow their food, and any foreign
matter adhering to it, precipitately, and
are consequently very uncomfortable
and melancholy. Birds are liable to the
same ailliction, and there is no mistak-
ing the inconvenience, tending to low
spirits, which our Gagged pets undergo
when they have been over-indulging in
the pleasures of the table. The spar
row'camel," however, hardly deserves
TO be called bird, and it certainly is
not beast, so that anologies drawn
nom either order are scarcely applica-
bie
At the first settlement of the world
according TO Oriental tradition, all the
creatures upon it were called up by Al
Ian TO be taught their several habits of
hie and to have their places on the
earth allotted to them. The birds APP
peared, "the total kinds of birds in or
dery array on wing" but the ostrich,
seeing all the little feathered things go
fHlng by, scorned to Join them. and
came to the conclusion that he could
not be bird. In his pride he disre-
garded the summons, saying to himself,
i suspect | am beast" 1t was, how
ever, the turn of the beasts next, and to
the dlsmay Of the ostrich he found that
i They had all of them four legs apiece
4 put, rcmarking that they had no plumes,
ne recovered his seli-complaeency. 1T
4 Is evident now," said he, that l am not
beast, so it is probable am an angel"
4 when the beasts had dispersed the os-
d trlch found himself alone with the bat;
q and Allah, looking out upon the great
n battle-ground, saw these two standing
a together in expectation of special sum-
mons, but he put a public atiront upon
n 'hcm by pretending not to notice them,
n ahd retired without assigning either OF
,hem any fixed place in creation. The
a pat has been so ashamed of himself ever
4elhce that he only goes abroad when it
"a i getting dark, and the ostrich with
IlIeW INTO the solitude of the desert.
g mere It behaves as it likes, aud regard
iess OF the prophecies. Though bird,
"a mas never tried to make nest; and
IN lough not beast, it lows and roars
lAe one. 1t lays eggs like fowl, but
- rops the herbaGe like cattle, wears hair
~ its back though il has only two legs;
|j no IS altogether an irregular and self
plhlonated person. That such crea-
Ire should go picncing off an IRON
lohgers stock-in-trade Is, therefore, no
lore than might be expected from It's
Acehtrlc habits; and the pretense that
ea's tenpenny nails to help its diges-
I'm can only be accepted as discredit-
ceNaslon of the trlth.
IN Rome the other day an ostrich
ahaged to suilocate itself by pushing
neck through between two bars,
ooWed a bunch Of keysthat had been
roPped outside, and then trying to get
mead back again. The result was
'ial II was choked and on its stomach
Slhg examined for missing property the
sIai assortment of stones, nails, coins
u oeads was discovered, with, how
ei' the Interesting addition of a silver
'uai oil the Pope and the cross of an