Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-09-07
AN OSTRICH FARM.
Watching Young BIRD Break out of Its
Immense Shell.

| Immense Shell.
We passed along with scarcely u
glance ut these side shows, for We were
anxious TO face an ostrich-with u stout
fence between. We found us we APP
preached that this protective provision
was doubly emphasized, for there were
two stout wooden ratings keeping us
Mt respectful distance from his majos-
| ty, stalking around in solitary
grandeur, or stopping TO gaze ut us
with n vicious craning OF his long, lean
neck. There were twenty full-grown
ostriches, each in u separate pen, or
rather open space fenced in. They
looked about seven feet high, even
taller when they suddenly stretch out
their necks. But, oh, the gorgeous
ness of their wings! Great masses OF
rich, black, velvcty ostrich plumes,
dropping OFF into snow-white cluster
at their tips. | wonder tilat Kings do
not ronounce the traditional ermine
and assume these more majestic en-
blcms OF royalty. These birds are
perfectly bare above the neck and legs,
and though their whole body is covered
with rich plumcs, the fullest and long
est and choicest are gathered from their
wings. Twice year they are plucbed,
and the annual revenues which they
bring their possessors is, according to
all accounts, quite little fortune. The
finest pnir are valued at eight hundred
dollars. They live on alfalfa, sort of
clover (of which this country produces
three or four crops II year), pounded
oyster shells and corn, their prodigious
digestive powers rather snubbcd, it
seems to me, by this mild diet; per-
haps, however, it serves 10 slaclsen
their dcpravcd propensities, for
| was told that only short
time before one of the keepers was
picked and bitten to death by the saw
age onslaught Of one of these birds.
The ostrich eggs are huge affairs, as
large around as quart measure. They
lay out in the open field, and just as |
was hanging over the fence, wickcdly
waving my jacket to make the majestic
ostrich perform an undigniiied pirouttc,
one of the eggs broke open and out
popped n little ostrich. Immediately
there was great commotion and every
body rushed breathlessly in our dircc-
ton. The keeper was told the news,
and came hurrying with CALCULATIONS OF
surprise. He vaultcd the two fences mt
the furthest distance from the mother
ostrich and made in the direction of the
lint NtTha ind
took long strides in his direction, and
manifested II lively curiosity as to his
purpose, the keeper vaulted again over
the nearest fence and disappeared from
the scene, 1t was quite comical to see
the old bird with her newborn Off
spring. At first she disdained tonotice
the little thing, which looked about the
size of u two-months old chicken, and
sought to follow the parental guidance
by running few steps, and then quite
unexpectedly toppling over or turning
feeble somersault. had quite hate
full feelings against the mother bird,
who by this time stood prancing before
us with her long, beautiful dropping
plumes. | think she saw by our eX-
prcssions, that we did not approve of
such Spartan motherhood, such unnat-
ural calming of the emotions, for she
immediately turned upon her hoel and
bestowed II motherly kiss upon her soli-
tary scion. There was thrill OF salts
faction along the line of spectators
when she finally sat herself down upon
her nest and drew the ugly ducklinn
under the shelter OF her rarely-plum-
aged wings. Angcics Cor. N. o.
Times.