The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-11
HABITS OF THE OSTRICH.
Eating, Running and Nest Making--A Close Observer in South Africa Talks About This Strange Bird.

Eating, Running ana NeSt-MahnS--A
 Close Observer in South Africa Talks
 About This Strange Bird.
 The ostrich (Struthio camelus) has been observed with interest from very early times; it has frequently been the subject of remark by African travellers; and it has been domesticated and farmed in the Cape Colony for some thirty years. Yet 1t is remarkable how little Is known about it in scientific cir cles and how many misconceptions still prevail as to it's nature and habits.
 This article is founded on personal observations made during nine years of uninterrupted ostrich farming in the Karroo of the Cape Colony, and during travels about the country generally. In large ostrich camps, some of which are a couple of miles in diameter, numbers of birds of both sexes run in what is practically a wild state, seldom inter ferred with in any way, except when rounded up to be plucked or to be fed in drouth. The habits of birds thus farmed differ in no way from those of native wild birds, except perhaps that monegamy is more difficult.
 Ali the differences on which the argu- ments for classifying the ostrich into three species are founded are common ly present among the ostriches of the Cape Colony-that Is, of South Africa generally; for great many of the Cape ostriches are the progeny of birds brought down from "the interior"-the Kalahari Desert Damaraland and be- yond. There Is, think, little doubt that all South African ostriches are of ore species; individual variations, &C., centuated by local differences of food and climate, are quite sufficient to ac- count for all supposed varieties I do not think that, on the evidence which I have been able to gather there Is any justification for maintaining that thera is more than one species of ostrich.
 The ostrich hen lays every other day, and the egg weighs about three pounds; 1t Is tasty and nutritious food, howev- CT prepared, very rich and excellent for making pastry and cakes It is gene rally computed to be equal to two dozen fowls eggs; but this must be on ac- count of it's superior chness, for, from personal experiment, the empty tents of a fairly large one exactly held the con-
 tents Of eighteen fowls eggs. It takes about forty minutes to boil an ostrich egg hard. The period of incuba tion is about six weeks.
 The old idea that an ostrich can only leap over a very low fence, or across but the narrowest sluit (gully), is incor- rect. The birds will, when startled (never deliberately, sometimes go over e-ix yt+ ,xyiro yl,y fi1ra high, putting one foot on one of the middle wires, and striding over with the other. They will go over stone wall in the same manner If too high for them to step upon; and I have seen a cock take a standing jump on to the top of a wall five feet high, beyond which were his chicks.
 Even as a chick the ostrich Is pow erful swimmer. have known several birds to swim some distance down the Great Fish River when 1t was running fairly strong, and have heard, on what seems trustworthy evidence, of @ cock that was carried long way down the same river when 1t was running nearly level with its precipitous banks in the stormy season; he was some hours in tIle WdlSl DelOTG ic CDUiu StI OuL, pQL emerged unhurt.
 The ostrich feeds in peculiar man. ner. It losses the food into a sack in the upper part of the neck, and then swallows 1t. have seen bird toss fully quart of mealies Qndian corn) into this sack before swallowing; and 1t is no uncommon thing to see two "swal- lows" travelling down the neck at the same time with a clear interval be- tween them; or to see one of them Gf of large and loose food, e. g., grain) slide back into the sack after being swallowed, If the bird lowers it's head to continue feeding before the food has travelled some considerable distance down the neck. The food travels slow | ly, and performs a complete circuit of the neck before reaching the crop. Crushed bones are greedily eaten; if too large piece should stick In the neck, it Is simple matter to cut 1t out and sew the wound up again. The wound, as rule, heals quickly, and causes but little inconvenience. As is well known, cs- trlches will swallow almost anything small enough to pass down the neck. An osfrfch's crOD alWays contains a