Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1891-05-21
HuMoRs OF THE OSTRICH.


brainfrss Creature.
The ostrich is not bird that can h.
easily brought mp in the way that IL
should go. II has no powers of dis
elimination Because God hath de-
prived her OF wisdom. neither hath lie
impaired 10 her understanding
runs the description of the ostrich in
the Book of job. IL can not discrimi-
nate between wire fence and the open
camp. between friends and foes. or b,,-
tween what is helpful and what is hurt
full to its digestion. II was owing to its
want of understanding in this last re
spcct and To an equal want Of disrrimi-
nation on the part Of the British public.
that II has been found impossible to
keep oStriches alive in the geological
gardens in London. A public accus-
toned tn slip in pennies into automatic
machines could not refrain from the
temptation offered by the omnivoruuS
throat cf sn ostrich. and filed them up
with poisonous copper. a. II they wer.
50 many missionary boxes. In its Afri-
can life, however. the chief danger that
he>etS IL il not the rccklcssneSS of it,
appetite, but its reckless disregard
of its own limbs. IL will take fright
at a shadow and hurl itself blindlv into
the nearest fence. from which il will he
eNtricated with broken leg: or fight
savagely with n brother-ostrich. and
break its leg; or fall into n hol,. or gully.
and break it, leg. or dance. waltzing
with swift and graceful precision. af-
foriinE a most beautiful sight Ia the
spectator and the greatest satisfaction
to itself. until giddincss comes upon IL
and brings il 10 the ground-again with
a broken leg. II is true that It's dan
geruusly powerful legs are also very
brittle. hut il must he confessed that IL
does not use them well
~ the danger that the owner some
times runs from those powerful limbs.
Mrs Martin tells some very amusing
stories. \ sturdy new conner. some six
feet in height. laughed a, the warnings
that were given him when he set out
for a walk. and disdainfully refused
the protection of taekcy-a thornv
branch. the dcNterous use Of which will
keep the ostrich at hay averring that
be was not afraid ~ ,lickv-hir,l.''
He was missed. and discovered Soms.
hours aftcrwaui hy n searrh party most
uncomfortahly Perched ON the top 81
m ironstOne bowlder. and slowly grill
ing under the African sun. while the
''siiclSy-hird'' did sentry up and down.
watching him with an evil eve AN
other gentleman had a theory that anv
creature. however savage. could ~,
subsiued-'quells,i, as he said-h- the
human eve one dav he tried Ia queu
one Of his own oStrichcS. with the re-
sult that he was presently found in a
very pitiable prcdicament. lying fiat on
the ground. while the subicct Of
his experiment jumped up aud
Down on him. occasionally vary
ing the treatment by sitting upon
him Doubtless i, was safer to lie
DOWN than to stand mp to h. kicked:
but To - sat upon a. IL one were sn egg
must have beeh indeed hurniliatinr.
Curious. too. i the account that the au-
thor gives 81 the camps or little king
ioms that the ostrich..S mark ont for
themselves. with invisible. hut nevcr-to-
h,--eneroac.is.i-upon boundaries. In
side that camp Il viii bear no intrusion.
but outside il, in the domain Of it,
neighbir, il Is profoundly indifferent to
the strangers wan,leringS Nor is il
safe for the farmer to presume upon his
former acquaintance with any bird. for
the ostrich has not wits enough to dis
tinguish an old friend from 4 new in
tru'ler, nor sufficient respect for his
owner 20 except him from his sus-
picious hostilities, though il would ar,-
pear that. As a rule. he will manifest a
stronger aversion to the Kaftir or Hot
tentot than To a white man.-London
Spectator.