The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-09
OSTRICHES At HOME.
SOurH AFRICAN TRAVELLERS
VIEW OF THE BIRD.
EEGs Weighing Three Pounds. and
Excellent for Passry-It Can Rum.
Jamp and Swim. hut Cannot Fly
\ Division Of Labor ny the Pa
rents in Rearing Famiiy-How
They Make Their Nests.

times; II has frequently been the subject
OF remark by African travellers and * has
been domesJicated and farmed in the Cape
Colony for some thirty years. Yet il =
remarkable how little is known about II
IN scientific circles. says &. 5. Croawright
SehrelEer in the LooioSsSt, and how many
misconceptions stiil prevail as TO its ma
ture and habits.
This article is founded on personal OBJ
sersauons made during nine years Of un-
Interrupted ostrich farming In the kar-oo
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
beth sexes run In what is practically
wild state, seldom interfered with in any
way. except when rounded up 10 be
pincked or 10 be fed IN a drouth. The
habits of birds thus farmed differ in no
way from those OF native wild birds. ex-
eept perhaps that ruoaogamy Is more diff
Ecuit
All the differences on which the argu-
ments for classifying the ostrich into
three species are founded are commonly
present among the ostriches of the Cape
Colony-shat is. Of South Africa general
": for great many of the Cape ostriches
are the progeny OF birds bronght down
from the interior tho kalahari Desert,
DaInAraland and beyond. There is I
think. little doubt that ali South African
cstriches are OF one species, individual
variations, accumulated by local differ
ences Of food and climate. are quite suf-
fcient 10 account for all supposed varie-
ties | do not think tina; on the evidence
which l have been able TO gather. there
Is any justification for maintaining that
there IS more than one species of ostrich.
The ostrich hen lays every other day,
and the egg weighs about three pounds;
II IS tasty and nutritious food. however
prepared. very rich and excellent for max
ing pastry and cakes. Ii is generally COM
puted TO be equal 10 two dozen fowls
eggs; but this must be On account OF It's
superior richness. for. from personal eS-
pertinent. the empty shell. OF a fairly large
enc exactly held the contents of eighteen
fowls eggs. 1t takes about forty minutes
10 boil an ostrich egg hard, The period OF
incubation is about six weeks.
The old idea that an ostrich can only
leap over very low fence. or across but
the narrowest SLUT tsullyl. is incorrect.
The birds Will. when startled tnever DELHI
erateiyf. sometimes go over a six-sIraGd
wire fence nearly five fee; high. putting
one foot on one OF the middle wires, and
striding over with the other They will
go over a stone wall In the same manner.
If too high for them to step upon; and I
have seen n cock take standing jump on
to the top of wall five feet high, beyond
which were his chicks.
Even Il chick the ostrich Is powerful
swimmer. / have known several birds to
swim some distance down the Great Fish
river when IL was running fairly strong.
and have heard. on what seems trust
worthy evidence. OF a cock that was car
ried long way down the same river when
II was running nearly level with its pre-
cipitous banks in the stormy season; no
was some hours in the water before he
could get out. but emerged unhurt,
The ostrich feeds In a peculiar manner.
Il losses tho food into a sack In the upper
part of the neck and then swallows 1t.
have seen bird toss fully quart of meal
les Undian corn) into this sack before
swallowing: and II ia no uncommon thing
10 see two swallows travelling down the
neck at the same time. with a clear in
terval between them: or 10 see one OF
them Uf Of large and loose food. G. s..
erain) slide hack into the sack after being
swallowed. II the bird lowers Its head to
continue feeding. before the food has tray-
eled some considerable distance down the
neck. The food travels slowly and per-
forms complete circuit OF the neck be-
fore reaching the crop. Crushed bones are
Sreedify eaten: IL too large a piece should
stick in the neck. it is a simple matter 10
cut it out and sew the wound up again.
The wound. as a rule, heals quickly. and
causes but little Inconvenience. As Is well
known ostriches VIII swallow almost any
thing small enough 70 pass down the neck.
An ostrieh's crop always contains a large
quantity of smooth stones. many of them
brightly coioTed
Considerable misconception prevails as
10 the manner in which the ostrich runs.
Ii seems 10 he stu generally held that
when running IL spreads out lis wings,
and aided by them, skins lightly over the
ground. This is not correct
When bird really settles Itself TO run
il holds it's head lower than usual, aud
a little forward. with deep loop In the
neck The neck vioTates sinuousiy, but
the head remains steady, thus enabling the
bird. even ut top speed, IN look around
with unshaken glance in any direction.
The wings lie along the sides about on a
level with or q little higher than the
hack and are held loosely just free OF
the plunging thigh" There is no at
TEMPT TO hold them extended. or 70 derive
any assistance from them organs OF
flight.
When an ostrich. after long run, IS
very tired. it's wings sometimes droop:
this Is due to exhaustion. they are never.
by a running bird exerting itself TO the
utmost. held out away from the sides
10 tighten it's weight or increase ifs pace.
But the wings appear TO be Of great ser
vice in turning enabling the bird TO 5oi.
bic abruptly even when going at top
speed.
AZ the breeding season aprroa chez a
cock and hen will pair. and. having Sc
Iected a site congeniai TO their inciina-
tons proceed 20 make nest. believe
that In all cases. IN the first instance. one
cock and one hen having paired, select
the site and make the nest.
The nest Is simply hollow depression.
more cr less deep. according 10 the ma