Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-30

The Tail. unEsinty bird Doe, SONS
siiehty Qassr Things At Times.

The Tai. vnEsintv Bird Does SONS
slightly Qnssr Things At Timcs.
The ostrich Is not bird that can bo
easily brought up in tho way that 1t
should 60 II has no powers OF Dis.
elimination. because God bath do
privod her Of wisdom. neither had he
Impaired to her understanding
nuns the description Of the ostrich In
the book Of job II cannot discrim'
mate between wire fence and the
open camp, between friends and foes,
or between what Is helpful and what
Il hurtful 10 tho digestion II was ow.
ing 10 it, want Of understanding In this
last respect, and TO an equal want OF
discrimination on the part Of the Brit
ish public, that Il has been found I'm
possible to Keep ostriches alive Ia the
Soologicnl gardens In London.
A public accustomed 10 slip ~ pen.
mics into automatic machines could not
refrain from the temptation offered By
the omniverOus throat Of an ostrich,
and fllcd them up with poisonous cop
por. as II they were ~ many missionary
boxes In H. African life. however
the chief danger that besets II IL not the
rckle-sncs. Of H. appetite, but It's rick
less disregard Of H. own limbs n will
take fright at shadow and hurl itseli
bindly into tho nearo,t fence. from
which II will be- catrcnted with n
broken leg or hrht savaroly with n
brother ostrich aud break IT, leg or
dance, waiting with swift and graceful
precision. aHoriinR a most beautiful
sight 10 the spectator and the greatest
satisfaction 10 himself. until gidjincss
comes upon e and brings Il 90 the
ground--ngain with n broken lee. II
Is true that H. dangerously powerful
lcgs are also very brittle, but Il must DO
confessed thai Il does not uso th,in
we'll
OF the danger that tho owner some.
times runs from those powerful limbs,
n writer tells some very amusing sto.
bcA A sturdy newcomer. some liz
feet In height. laughed at the warnings
that were given him when he sct out
for walk and diSdainiully refused tho
protection Of a tncky-a thorny branch,
the dcttcrouA use Of which will keep
the ostrich at bay ayorring that he
"was not afraid Of a dicky birdl" lle
was missed and discovered some hours
aftcrward by search party most nm.
comfortably pcrchcd on the top Of an
ifonstone bowlder and slowly grillng
under tho African sun, while the ''diclsy
bird did sentry up and down, watch
ing him with an owl eye.
Another gentleman had theorythat
any creature. however savage, could DO
fubdued 'quolled." M he sai1--by
the human eye. One dny no tried to
quell ono Of his own ostrlchcs. with tho
result that he was presently found In n
very pitlable predicamcni, lying fiat on
the ground, while tho subject Of his
experiment, Jumped up aud down on
ldm. occasionally varying tho treat
ment by sitting upon him. Doubtless
Il was Saser to lilo down than TO stand
up TO be Kicked, but TO be- sat upon as
u one wore an egg must have been In.
deed huniliating.
Curious. too, Is tho account that tho
author gives Of tho camps or little
kingdoms that the oStriches mark out
for themselves, with Invisible but mover
TO DO encroachcd upon boundaries.
Inside that cnmp II will bear no In
tnuslon, but outside OF IL. IN the do
main Of is ncIghbor. II l. profoundly In.
different 10 tho strangers wandcrlngi
Nor Is It safo for tho farmer TO pro.
sumo upon Ills former acquaintance
with any bird, for tho ostrich has not
wits enough 20 distinguish an old friend
from n new Intruder, nor sufficient re-
spoet for his owner TO except him from
Ills Suspicious ho,tllitca, though II
would appear that, rs rule, lao will
manifest u stronger aversion 10 the
Kaiiir or Hottentot than TO a whit,
man. Great Divide.