The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-07-11
ADMoEs or TAg osTaleH:
Some of the Striking Pecuiia rites OF the
Brainless Creature.

4
/ Brainless Creature.
The ostrich is not bird that can be
easily brought up in the way that it
should go. 1t has no powers of dis
elimination. Because God hath de-
! prlved her of wisdom, neither hath He
impaired to her understanding'-as
runs the description of the ostrich in
the Book of Job. 1t can not discrimi-
nate between a wire fence and the open
camp, between friends and foes, or be-
tween what is helpful and what is hurt
full to its digestion. 1t was owing to its
want of understanding in this last re-
spect, and to an equal want of discrimi-
nation on the part of the British public,
that it has been found impossible to
keep Ostriches alive in the geological
gardens in London. A public accus-
toned to slip in pennies into automatic
machines could not refrain from the
temptation offered by the omnivorous
throat OF an ostrich, and filled them up
with poisonous copper, as if they were
so many missionary boxes. In its Afri-
can life, however, the chief danger that
besets 1t is not the recklessness of it's
appetite, but its reckless disregard
of its own limbs. 1t will take fright
at shadow and hurl itself blindlv into
the nearest fence, from which it will be
extricated with a broken leg: or fight
savagely with a brOther-Ostrich, and
break its leg: or fall into hole or gully,
and break its leg; or dance. Waiting
with swift and graceful precision, af-
fording most beautiful sight to the
spectator and the greatest satisfaction
to itself, until giddiness comes upon il
and brings it to the ground-again with |
a broken leg. 1t is true that it's dan |
gerously powerful legs are also very |
brittle, but it must be confessed that it |
does not use them we'll
Of the danger that the owner some
times runs from those powerful limbs.
Mrs Martin tells some very amusing |
stories. A sturdy newcomer, some six
feet IN height, laughed at the warnings
that were given him when he set out
for walk. and disdainfully refused
the protection of tackey-a thorny
branch, the deXterous use of which will
keep the ostrich at bay-averring that
he twas not afraid of dicky-birdr'
tie was missed, and discovered some
hours afterward by search party most
perched on the top of
an ironstOne bowlder, and slowly grill
ng under the African sun, while the
'dlcky-bird" did sentry up and down.
him with an evil eve. AN
'ther gentleman had theory that any
'reature, however savage, could be |
nh Id I, 4
human eye. One day he tried to ouell
me of his own ostriches, with the re-
uit that he was presently found in a |
cry pitiable predicament, lying fiat on
he ground, while the subject of
lis experiment jumped up and
own on him, occasionally vary
ng the treatment by sitting upon !
i'm" Doubtless it was safer to lie :
own than to stand up to be kicked:
ut to be sat upon as if one were an egg
aust have beeh indeed humiliating.
urious, too, is tho account that the an-
hor gives of the camps or little king. q
oms that the Ostriohes mark out for
hemselves, with invisible. but never-to- q
boundaries. In c
de that camp 1t will bear no intrusion
ut outside it, in the domain of it's Il
eighbor, it is profoundly Indifferent to e
ne strangers wanderings. Nor is it 9
lie for the farmer to presume upon his N
'rmer acquaintance with any bird, for
he ostrich has not wits enough to dis
nguish an old friend from new in A
uder, nor sufficient respect for his
~ner to except him from his sus-
cious hostilities, though 1t would ap- ts
sar that, as a rule. he will manifest q al
ronger aversion to the Kaffir or Hot Of
ntot than to white man.-London W
ia