Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-10-10
AN OSTRICH FARM.
watching Young Bird Break Out OF
IInsnenae Shall.

Watching a Young Bird Break Out OF Its
Immense Shell.
We passed along with scarcely a
glance at these side shows, for we were
anxious TO face an ostrich-with stout
fence between. We found as we ap-
preached that this protective provision
was doubly emphasized, for there were
two stout wooden ratings keeping us
at respectful distance from his majes-
ty, stalking around in solitary
grandeur, or stopping TO gaze at us
with vicious craning Of his long, lean
neck. There were twcnty> full-grown
ostriches, each in 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, velvety ostrich plumes,
dropping off into snow-white cluster
at their tips. / wonder that Kings do
not renounce the traditional ermine
and assume these more majestic en-
blems OF royalty. These birds are
perfectly bare above the neck and legs,
and though their whole body is covered
with rich plumes, the fullest and long
est and choicest are gathered from their
wings. Twice year they are plucked,
and the annual revenues which they
bring their possessors Is, according to
all accounts, quite little fortune. The
finest pair are valued at eight hundred
dollars. They live on alfalfa, sort of
clover (of which this country produces
three or four crops a year,, pounded
oyster shells and corn, their prodigious
digestive powers rather snubbed, it
seems to me, by this mild diet; per-
their depraved 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 I
was hanging over the fence, wickedly
waving my jacket to make the majestic
ostrich perform an undignifed piroutte,
one OF the eggs broke open and out
popped a little ostrich. Immediately
there was great commotion and every
body Pushed breathlessly in our direc-
ton. The keeper was told the news,
and came hurrying with CALCULATIONS OF
surprise. He vaulted the two fences at
the furthest distance from the mother
ostrich and made in the direction of the
new conner; but when the mother bird
took long strides in his direction, and
manifested lively curiosity as to his
purpose, the keeper vaulted again over
the nearest fence and disappeared from
the scene, IL was quite comical to see
the old bird with her newborn Off
spring At first she disdained to notice
the little thing, which looked about the
size OF a two-months old chicken, and
sought TO follow the parental guidance
by running few steps, and then quite
unexpectedly topping 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-
pressions, that we did not approve of
such Spartan motherhood, such unnat-
ural calming Of the emotions, for she
Immediately turned upon her heel and
bestowed a mothcrly 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 duckling
under the shelter of her rarely-plum-
aged wings. angeles Cor ~ o.
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