Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-12-13
THE OSTRICH.
queer Habits ofa Peculiar HIra-uov the
OstFIch d Hunted.

'"'' ''' 'h'tSul'gt O"H'I VI hl'
farm, on which there are twenty-Ohe
birds, said TO the writer:
"They lay eggs every other day
Age does not affect them. Ihave seen
apair Of birds which were 81 years old
and they were just as valuable for
breeding and feather raising az ever
Were they decrepit? You could not
tell the difference in any way between
them and very much younger birds. |
have known birds 30 years old, pair,
valued at ElOO0. You can see the
chances here. If the birds are in
proper condition | expect that we
shall have 600 chickens in "A year
The difficulty in ostrich farming is in
raising the chickens. They catch cold.
But when they are over month old
they are all right. Ostriches have no
disease that | know Of and / have had
eight years experience with them.
When a chicken is months old the
value Of its feathers Is about $40:
when IL is II months old the value is
between $20 and $50, and when the
bird is between - and years old the
value is about $3.50 annually. Sixteen
years ago the business of ostrich farm
ing was begun: now SiOOOO,ODO are
invested in IT,"
An ostrich is apparently about the
most ill-tempered bird in existence
They never acquire fondncss for any
one. They have no particular prefer
ence ordinarily as 10 mating. They
are always On the lookout 10 kick some
one, and II the kick has the intended
effect it is pretty sure 10 be fatal. The
blow is aimed forward, and is accu-
rate. For this reason the person who
pulls the stocking over the ustrich's
head at the time when the feathers are
10 be cut must bc wary and expert
cnced. AS Dr. Nkctchley walked along
10y the corrals. Of which there are
about bakers dozen. the ostrichcs.
with a few exceptions. followed along
with an evident desire 20 get kick at
him. \ ChInaman carrying scythc
along by Oh" of Ia" cprrals was at once
an object of proyocation to the ostrich
- in that corral and of fear - Dr.
-. .f f.i all.
the th!naman understand that there
WAS danger 10 the precious birds from
the scythe should they kick through
The birds. when they found that the
'hinaman was out ~ their reach, lay
down in the dust Of the corral and.
rocking violently from side 10 side
beat their bodies with their heads with
all their available force which from
the sound seemed 10 bc considerable
II was such a sound as might come
from a muNlcd drum. Having in
dulgcd In this outhurst for awhilethcy
stalkei about with that peculiar gait.
which seemed 90 Doc their property in
common only with the camel or drom-
elay. then they again lay in the dust
and repeated the drumming opera
tiou. Dr. Nkctchloy succeeded IN ca,,Al.
ing one 10y the neck. hut lid not hold
it. ~" also put his hand into the
mouth Of one o. show that It had no
strength in its jaws Their diet is
mainly alfalfa and barley, with cab
bag". turnips. and potatoes thrown in
ay a sort 81 ostrich dessert The diet
would alone indicate the Lack of
strength in the jaws. Before they
reach that elimination of anger which
results in the prostration and drum
ming. they emit loud hiss like a
goose, opening the mouth TO such an
extent as to look like letter V lying
on one side and stretched very wide
apart. The danger is all from the one
toed feet. with the obviously prodigious
muscle Of leg and thigh to propcl
them.
4 striking difference exists between
the corraled and farmed ostriches and
those running over the African deserts.
inasmuch as the latter never fight.
Dr. Sketchley hunted for nine months
in the desert The birds have TO lie
hunted scientifically. Certain facts
are known. one being that the birds
will always run in a semicircle. First
they will run with the wind, that they
may use their wings to help them.
After they get what the sailors call "a
head wind" they go around the other
way. They must he run down. One
horse cannot wind them. The great
trouble is TO keep them in sight They
will run 40 miles on a stretch. II they
ayer oyot n hroathfpu sn,u sh,v x.-i1t