The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-28
FACTS ABOUT THE OsxHIcH.
The Mate . Klnd acknowledgements
I'm Fear DuYing Starma.

40e male = hl00 acknowledgements
I'm Fear During Storms.
Being not only native or Southern
Africa, Cape Colony, but born and raised
on an ostrich farm, my father having
owned large camp, where he Kept so or
400 birds, can perhaps furnish few I'M
teresting anecdotes and some pecuiiarities
regarding these curious creatures. The
ostrich is very grand and majestic bird.
easily angered, and when in this state
draws itself up to great height, opens IT.
huge and attractive wings, displaying in
all its splendor and beauty the lovely
white, black and grey plumes beneath,
The tail also contains some Of the 6ne1t
feathers. Every six months the birds are
''plucked, l. e., their feathers extracteds
and as they are very fierce and dangerous
in their wild condition and kick the Kafr@
to death, men go on horseback with long,
thick sticks and huddle them all into =
heap in q small room, thus affording them
no space to kick during the operation
The ostrich is greatly afraid Of storms,
which are prevalent in Africa. As the
sky lowers, becoming dense and stormy
and the lightning wildly flashing, pal
after peal of thunder vibrating through
the mountains, the birds rush frantically
about, vainly endeavoring to escape
through the wire fence. and often in the
attempt manage to break limb or sustain
some other injury. But generally they lie
down in crowds and bury their heads in
the sand or under each Others wings and
lie as if ifcless till the storm has abated
The ostrich is much attracted by any
glittering object, and the birds used to
bend their towering necks over the fcnco
Il -
etc. Once an old pet bird we named
''Leek 0ch," the Dutch equivalent for
"wafery eye," having this weakness, and
which roanied about the homestead at ito
own free will. entered the kitchen when
my sister happened 10 have bunch OF
keys in her hand. She accidentiy droppc{1
them; when old Leek Och instantly, and
deliberately, without the slightest hesita-
ton or formaiity, swallowed them, much
to the CONSERVATION of all present. but
suffered no i'll effects afterward.
Bones. chopped up, and pieces Of iron.
ETC., are thrown into the camps, which
serve to digest the ostrich's food, which
consists principally of s.the bush,s pab-
bies, dried corn and q green shrub which
is expressly cultivated for ostrich farming.
1t is the male bird which selects and makes
fnssing and coaxing to satisfy his perverso
spouse; for il she is not suited with the
spot selected, she eoolly walks OF until he
has found another more TO her taste and
desire The eggs are never left exposed.
for the birds take turns to set, but invari~
ably the greater part Of the task falls 10
the male, who is quite as indulgent and
considerate as the American husband. The
ostrich lays from fifteen to twenty eees.
and generally succeeds in bringing them
all out During this period the ostrich i
fiercer than ever, and woe betide the
.'blackie" who ventures too near his doS
main. Ostrich eggs are deemed . grcnt
luxury, being of rich flavor. and ere very
nutritious. One egg is equal in sire q
about twenty hens eggs. BY the wax.
in reference to Matching. one Of ou1
tame birds died on the nest, :
few days previous to the Matching OF the
eggs, and the male bird, overcome With
grief at the loss Of his partner, forsook tho
nest, and IS there were only six eggs IN i
the Katir herdsman's wife, with much
pride and satisfaction, volunteered e
take the eggs to bed and hatch them hers
self, which she accordingly did an
received as reward for her perseverance,
and clever suggestion two small birds.
which she carefully raised with the otho1
two she had managed to save. Tho
remainder died in the she'll
Osfriches have no memory. are plas
headed and excessively stupid. I have
seen them, when driven night after night
during the winter into an enclosure, try =
get through stonewali, and pass an1
repass the entrance and not see or rcmen.
her that thew have coma fhros1 ~b than
opening thousands and thousands -
times, and have not the slightest idoa
that they are vainly bruising and hultina
themselves in endeavoring 70 get throuGk
the massive barrier.
4 EATzvs o. ASsxcA