The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-01-12


made up the fora. Pelicans, cranes, hum
ming birds, plovers and asfew land birds
also species of land shell, were found OF
this group, but no reptiles, whereas Key
West has many of the frogs, snakes anC
toads that inhabit the mainland.
The Ostrich.
A letter to the New York Times de
scribes the ostrich farm at Anaheim, Cal
DR.. Sketchley, owner of the farm, on which
there are twenty-one birds, said to the
writer:
"They lay eggs every other day. Agt
does not affect them 1 have seen a pain
of birds which were 80 years old, and they
were Just as valuable for breeding anG
feather raising as ever. Were they de
crepit? You could not tell the difference
in any way between them and very much
younger birds. l have known birds 30
years old, pair, valued at f1,OOO. You
can see the chances here. If the birds are
in proper condition expect that we shall
have 600 chickens in year. The diff
Guilty 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 l have had eight years ex-
perience with them. When a chicken is
6 months old the value of its feathers is
about SO; when it is IA months old the
value is between $50 and $50, and when
the bird is between 81 and years old the
value is about $3.50 annually. Sixteen
years ago the business of ostrich farming
was begun; now S4O,O00,0O0 are invested
in it.
An ostrich is apparently about the most
ill-tempered bird in existence. They never
acquire fondness for any one. They have
no particular preference ordinarily as to
mating. They are always on the lookout
to kick some one, and if the kick has the
intended effect it is pretty sure to be fatal.
The blow is aimed forward, and is accurate
For this reason the person who pulls the
stocking over the ostrich's head at the time
when the feathers are to be cut must be
wary and experienced As Dr. Sketchley
walked along by the corrals, of which there
are about a bakers dozen, the ostriches,
with few exceptions, followed along with
an evident desire to get kick at him. \
Chinaman carrying scythe along by one
of the cOrrals was at once an object of pro-
vocation to the ostriches in that corral and
of fear to DIR. Sketchley. The latter tried
to make the Chinaman understand that
there was danger to the precious birds from
the scythe should they kick through. The
birds, when they found that the Chinaman
was out of their reach, lay down in the dust
of the corral, and rocking violently from
side to side, beat their bodies with their
heads with all their available force, which
from the sound seemed to be considerable.
1t was such sound as might come from
a mffied drum. Having indulged in this
outburst for awhile, they stalked about with
that peculiar gait, which seemed to be their
property in common only with the camel
or dromedary; then they again lay in the
dust and repeated the drumming operation.
DIR. Sketchley succeeded in catching one by
the neck, but did not hold it. He also put
his hand into the mouth of one, to show
that it had no strength in its jaws. Their
diet is mainly alfalfa and barley, with cab
bage, turnips and potatoes thrown in as a
sort of 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 drumming, they emit loud hiss like
a goose, opening the mouth to such an ex-
tent 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 propel them.
A striking difference exists between the
corraled and farmed ostriches and those
running over the African deserts, mas
much as the latter never fight. DIR. Sketch
ley hunted for nine months in the desert.
The birds have to be hunted scientifically.
Certain facts are known, one being that
the birds will always run in 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 be run down. One horse can
not 'wind" them. The great trouble is to
keep them in sight. They will run 40
miles on stretch. If they ever get a
breathing spell they will get away The
hunter starts out with fresh horse A
Bushman boy rides another and leads one
As soon as it is seen which way the bird
will run, the boy takes his cue and drives
to where he thinks the hunter will need
the fresh horse. In the meantime the os-
trich singled out for the chase and the
hunter are speeding along like the wind,
the latter straining every nerve to keep in
sight of the bird and the bird making its
most prodigious strides for freedom, A
great deal now depends ON the Bushman
boys judgment, in having the fresh horse
at the right place, that no time be wasted.
1t is seldom that the boy makes mistake.
The hunter leaps on the fresh horse and
gains on the bird, which, growing tired,
goes more and more awkwardly. The
hunter has only, when he catches it, to rap
it on the head with his hunting whip, and
the chase is over. There are really only
two kinds of ostriches, the North African
| anu OouIh AiIlCdA plfuss i ne maleS are
black and the females drab. All are Of
one color, drab, until after they are two
years old.
One of the most singular features is the
location of the ostrich's stomach. He car.
ries it on his back between his shoulders
and the food can be seen winding around
inside of his neck to get at this out-of-the.
way receptacle. Although there is great
deal of cha6ng against the corrals in case
of fright, the plumage, for which alone the
birds are of value, does not seem to suffer
much All of the flock appear to be in fine
feather The plumage is soft, silky, clean
and glossy as it grows, and is all ready fol
market. Speaking of the relative value OF
the birds, DIR. Sketchley said that, while
one might yield more feathers or prove a
better breeder, he averaged them. The
value is determined mainly by breeding
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