The Port Gibson reveille., 1893-03-10

Among the many points Of interest about
thia city IL the Pasadena Ostrich Farm,
writes Cincinnati Enquirer correspondent
from Pasadena, Ca Il IA only short ride
from town
On one Of tho innumcrable sunny. cioud-
aoas days that come to southern California
we visited the ostrich farm. Over the en-
trance gate arc the words: "Admission
Twenty-Five cents" We had been invited
20 look at the rare birds. 20 our purses were
none the lighter for the visit
Before as was plcketcd inclosure, over
ene aide Of which canvas Is tackled, that the
curious paasers-by may not have view Of
ths ostrseAes without paying The admission
fee.
Leaving the carriage we walked along 70
The far aide OF the Enclosure. AS we stood
before the fence the keeper gave peculiar
call and the oatriches hurried toward Us.
We had expected such great birds 70 move
awkwardly. Instead. they move with an
easv, gliding gait not unlike the cAmels.
Perhaps both ACQUIRED 10 Ia the same way
from walking over the deep sands In their
native land
There must have been twelve or fifteen
ostriches In the corral They are strange
looking creatures, with long, bare legs,
broad, fat bodies, and long, serpcntlike
neols, we'll suited 70 their small heads and
bright eyes. The body Of the ostrich Is
from four 10 five feet high. and the head
rfaes high above the back, eight or ten feet
from the ground.
As we gazed 81 the strange birds one Of
our party remarked. laughingly, that the
saying - bird in the hand, etc" seemed
TO have lost It's meaning.
Standing before eight or ten OF the queer
birds, with their snail heads darting here
and there, by the quick twists and curves
OF the snake-lke necls, Is enough 70 make
one uncomfortable. The legs Rre so stilt-
like that, for n time, only scaly, bare legs
and writhing necks impressed us.
We offered n few oranges in our out
stretched hands. The nccks wriggled over
the high fence and quickly the oranges
were enatched from our open hands and
swallowed whole
We know that this is true, for we sew
them passing down through tho long,
slender necks Tho most fortunate Of tho
ostriches showed two or three distenslons
Of the neck.
The birds foot has two toes indeed, II
may be said TO have one great too with
another seemingly uudevcloped.
But it is for its plumaga that the ostrich
Ia noted. We turned our attention 10 the
p'umage.
The great bodies are thickly covered with
overlapping feathers, looking somewhat
like thoroughly worn-out tips. The male
birds arc black; the females a brownish
gray.
We were greatly surprised 70 see the
number Of plumes on the wings-not less
than thirty on forty overlapping on the tap
OF each wing.
The keeper threw several handfuls Of
corn 10 the ostrichcs, also some alfalfa "a
kind Of hay), cut up aud wet with water.
They seemed greedy. but we wero told 1t
did not require great deal 70 keep them.
While the heads were darting about for
the feed on the ground the keeper lifted
one OF the wings and ran his hand through
the mass OF feathers, calling for tn an ex-
clamation Of surprise and delight from each
ofus.
The finest, heaviest plumes in which
women always delight are the tall feathers
The soft white ones arc from the tail OF the
male bird. Long white feathers also tip
the wings Of the male, but the most Of his
wing feathers are black 81
Tnese are tho three natural colors- black,
white and gray--and after cleaning tho
feathers are ready for use, IL the natural
must be blcached, and il some color other
than those mentioned is desired, II is OBJ
tanned by oyeing.
Atthc farm the wing feather may be bad
for about tl.50. the price varying with the
size Of the feathers.
An ostrich egg Il about the length Of
ones hand and about as wide. In form like q
hens egg, excepting that 1t Is less pointed.
It is heavy In proportion 10 its size, for the
shell Is very thick; In appearance II Is like
porcelain We saw three shells tblown
outn like Easter eggs. The price Of the
empty shell is f1.50l The fresh eggs are
not to be had at any price.
Tourists buy the empty eggs. Some deco
rate them for their Eastern homes. But
they would certainly be much more pleas
ant without the decoration
Here In California the eggs are hatched
IN incubators. We were told that hatched
In this way the young birds made their ap-
pearance after forty days and arc then about
the size OF q hen.
In Africa, the homo Of the ostrich, the
eggs are often left for days with no other
heat than that Of the sun. Here the nights
are so cold that the only practicable way Of
hatching the eggs Is by the use Of an incu-
bator.
The birds Of which have been writing
are about four years old, and were imported
from Africa. The length of time required
70 bring eggs 70 this country from Africa is
so great that IL makes their importation
wholly impracticable.
Should the conditions here prove favorable
TO the raising OF the ostrich IL ought 70 be q
very profitable business. Each bird bears
80 many plumes, and these may be gathered
yearly.
In many localities In Africa where the os-
trich was once found in great numbers, they
are rapidly disappearing before the march
Of civilization.
From early times their plumes have been
admired and worn. The demand for them
seems 70 be increasing rather than dimin-
lshing. Their demand has made what is
called sAostrich farming very profitable In
Africa. In wild state from five 70 fifty
0striches may be found together. The nest
Is shallow pit scraped out of the sand with
their feet In this nest from four TO Eve
females lay their eggs. Wnen ten to twelve
eggs are lain the cock begins TO brood.
During the night he is surrounded by bis
wives. This is presumably TO guard the
nest from iackals and other wild animals,
rather than to assist In Matching theegg for
they are often left for days TO the heat of
the sun only. About thirty eggs are laid
In the nest and as many more are scattered
aroundit
Hunters often cover themselves with
masks Of ostrich feathers, aud In this way
approach the shy birds. Only the young
birds are captured
IL theoetrich In Southern California misses
the torrid heat Of its native country, Il
surely could not desire q SUMMER land than