Evening star., 1896-07-02

pointment. Three of these eggs were put
in an incubator. The fourth was placed un-
der hen on farm in Maryland. Like the
others, 1t also proved infertile. But when
| the manager of the Norwalk farm was told
that the eggs after remaining in the incu-
bator over twenty days were absolutely
| clear, with no air cell forming he knew they
were infertile, and at his own expense re-
! placed them with four more, which were
| packed with every refinement Of caution.
| and in due time reached Washington.
Three OF the eggs were placed in a Prairie
| State incubator of the smallest size made.
| having capacity of 100 hens eggs. May 7.
and the second trial began. With this sec
| ond setting the results were better. A week
ago Wednesday two curious-looking orni-
| biological specimens emerged from the huge
| three-pound ivory-surfaced shells
As Mr.. Cugler. who has Charge of the in
cuba tors, had sealed the door of the ma
| chine in which the ostrich eggs were. and
covered the glass, in order to prevent the
accidents likely to happen from meddling
children and quite as meddlesome adults.
the young oStricheS made their arrival al
| most unknown. They came in the night.
| and when first seen had dried out and were
making their presence known by pecking
vigorously against the glass. The third
egg proved infertile: the fourth is out in
| the country, and it Is not yet known
whether 1T hatched or not.
The young ostricheS began life with a
prodigicns appetite and have been grow
| ing like young Pekin ducks. which double
| their weight every seven or eight days.
They began at once to eat Canada peas.
stale bread. sliced turnips. green cabbage,
kafiir corn and ground bone, and to drink
pnts and pints Of water and quarts and
quarts of milk. Beside these articles OF
diet they showed an avidity for limestone
grit and the plaster the wall. They
were put in pen that had been made for
dogs. ranged along a brick wall, and they
set TO work pecking at the mortar as il it
was candy.
The young ostriches are certainly queer
looking birds. They are of the South Aeri-
can variety and at maturity, if all goes
Well with them, should be six feet tall and
may be eight. They are now about the
s;ze of big Brahma rooster and must
weigh eight nine pounds. They are of
dirty brown color. their down being
rough and prickly and showing little prom
ise OF the beautiful plumage which they
are destined to wear at some future day
Ifeir heads are fat and snakish in shape;
the eyes bright and inquisitive; the bill
thick and powerful: the whole set on a
eng slender, striped neck. But their legs
and feet are their most marvellous posses
sions. They are thick jointed as young
colts AMI will some time be powerful
ei'Eer for lCcomotton or combat There
are but two toes on the feet. one as big as
a rams thumb, the other smaller.
They are restless creatures, forever strid-
ing up and down their pen. pecking at the
wall or the floor at each other They
are not at all ill-tempered. and can be cas-
l.
| to do They seem fond of each other.
and stand often with their heads across
each others back, in a sort of birdlike
embrace.
Mr.. Schmid is anxious to raise these new
comers. and is taking every possible care
OF them. Thus far they have not been on
exhibition even to the many naturalists
who frequent his place. 1t is said by those
who are familiar with ostrich farming that
they will thrive in the climate and latitude
of Washington. They do not necessarily
require subtorrid climate, and in Cali
fornia are provided usually with no better
shelter in winter than ordinary cattle
sheds. In Washington Mr.. Schnid expects
TO provide something warmer He has
bought still another clutch of eggs and is
going to try ana produce good-sized flock
of birds before he is through with the in
teresting experiment.
The annual yield of plumeS from ma
ture bird is two to four pounds, and they ara
worth from s. to 500 a pound. according to
quality. The average price for undressed
African feathers is $50 a pound. The full
grown bird is valued according to his pro-
ductiveness in feathers and it is hard to
buy one for less than 500 to 500 Young
oStriches are also valuable as breeders a
female laying thirty to forty eggs in a sea-
son. The usual life of the ostrich is about
thirty years. May these little birds of Mr..
Schmids live at least that long,