The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-06-11
Habits OF the Ostrich.

oc fr' sSa sSnfaayy y eEsSS Il tt ysdtEh hes tha5 5 h
other birds, Is careless of her young, ne
glccts them, and Is even cruel to them.
1t also prevailed at least thousand years
after the book Of Job was written Sec
Lam. iv. 3: "Evcn'th seq monsters draw
out the breast; they give suck to their young
ones; the daughter of my people is become
cruel, like the ostrich in the wilderness"
1t is probable that this idea respecting
the cruelty of the ostrich towards its young
is derived from the fact that If flock of
ostrichcs be chased, and among them be
some very young birds, the latter are left
behind by their parents, and fall prey to
the hunters. But in reality the ostrich has
no choice in the matter. The wide sandy
desert affords no place of conccalment in
which 1t might hide its young Nature has
not furnished it with weapons by means of
which it can fight for them and conse-
qnent)y 1t is forced to use the only means
of escape by which it can avoid sscri-
icing it's own ltc, rs well as the lives of
the young.
1t docs not, however, leave the young
until it has tried all means in It's power to
save them. For example, IL sometimes
has resource to the manGuvrc with which
we are 80 familiar in the case of the lap
wing, and pretcnds to be wounded or
lamcd, IN order to draw the attention of it's
pursucrs, while its young escape in another
direction. An instance of this practice is
given by Mr.. Anderson in Ills Lake Ngdni:
"Whcn we had proceeded little more
than half the distance, and in part of the
plain entirely destitute of vegetation, we
discovered male and female ostrich, will,
a brood Of young ones, about the size of
ordinary barn-yard fowls. We forthwith
dis.Aountcd from our oxen, and gave chase
which proved of no ordinary interest.
"Thc moment the parent birds became
aware of our intention, they set off at full
apced-thc female leading the way, and
the cock. though at some little distance,
bringing up the rear of the family party.
1t was very touching to observe the anxiety
the birds evinced for the safety of their
progeny. Finding that they were quickly
gaming upon them, the male ut once slack
ened bis pace and diverted somewhat from
his course; but, seeing that we were not
to be diverted from our purpose, he again
increased his speed, and, with wings droop-
ing, 80 Us to almost touch the ground he
| lowered round us, now In wide circles, and
then increasing the circumference until he
abruptly threw himself on the ground, and
struggled desperately to regain his legs, as
1t appeared, like bird that has been badly
wounded.
Having previously fired at him, really
though he was disabled. and made quickly
toward him. But this was only ruse on
his part, for on my nearer approach, he
slowly rose and began to run IN different
direction to TINT of the female, who, by
thie time, was considerably ahead Of her
charge"
Nor Is this solitary instance of the care
which the ostrich will take of her young.
Thunbcrg mentions that on one occasion,
when he happened to ride near place
where an ostrich was sitting on the eggs,
the bird jumped up and pursued him, cvi.
IDENTIFY with the object Of distracting his
attention from the eggs. When ho faced
her, she ratreated; but as soon as he turned
his horse, she pursued him afrcsh.