The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-26
Established 1923.
WILSON
WHlSKEY.
That's All!
THE WILSON prsrrLJNo Co.
pni roreM
WAYS or THE OSTRICH.
Observed on the Second Largest Ostrich
Farm In America.

Farm In America.
From he A risora Grdphic
The Phonx herd OF ostriches inhabits an
alfalfa pasture Of forty acres three miles north
Of the city. Tho herd Is second in sire in Amer
lea, numbering 175 birds, the largest herd being
at Fullerton. Cal, and numbering 800 birds
The first birds brought from South Africa TO
America for breeding purposes came TO California
In 1882 In 1883 fourteen chicks from this herd
were uroug hi 10 Phoenix for exhibition, and were
bought by Josiah Hnrbert, who proposed to breed
them. The purchase was made during the sum
mer and Mr. Hnrbert put the young birds in coops
carefully covered the coops with cloths TO keep
out tho SUM- and drove out to his home In Al
hambra All the birds but two were smothcrcd
- death during the trip. II being impos sitls
% distinguish between the sexes In young os-
triches and fearing he had no male bird, Mr..
Harbert purchased ono Of I he male birds brought
from Africa. The l75 birds constit utng tho
present herd are his descendants lie has been
honorably retired and with the dignity beftsing
his patriarchh position he knocks the stutlng
out Of everything that comes within his reach.
IL was not long ago that he engaged Mr.. Pickreil
impr omptu scrap" and while MIR. Pickrell is q
husky old bird himself and was armed with
wooden pitehicIk ola a0'm r. Paul ht ann M. one
Tho ostrich is monogamist. Al least, he
has but one wife at time, The match making
pair Of Birds in a separate corral. MI Ostrich
IL likely to consider the question OF marriage
oI some DAYS aver no Is I'm ss Vi ms cpnrs
his shns and bsak a bright red. When he finally
determines that a family should be reared, he
digs a nest in the ground. lilo then drives his
mate up TO the nest and calls her attention TO II
by giving her u kick. II she Is dull Of compre-
hendon. and she usually is, he continues to
smbles the roar Of the lion. He is often COM
PEELED 10 20 "a tho extreme Of kicking her over
She finally, however. sees her duty and begins
70 lay eggs which average three pounds in weight;
h2 nd 5 or IRIS s nS snOus
| u known 10 the mother and she lays them out
side the nest But in this there is wonderful
nesting Of tho Wild birds is done In the hills or
mountains. far from water and the haunts Of
| miles from water the first requirement OF the
chick when he comes from the shell IL water OF
tho two or three see eggs Which the mother
| braks after her brood ~ born, and on which
the chicks live until they are strong enough
Left 10 her own Judgment the hen lays perhaps
ten cggs al the rate OF one In two days,a when
| the neat looks comfortably full the incubaiion
begins But the artince Of man deceves her
! The keeper systematically takes the eggs from
| the nest and as long as her work seems Ia be
| unfinished the hen continues TO produce eggs
liy this system two hens on the PhTnix farm last
! year produced nifty eggs each. She cannot be
| deceived. however, as 10 the sterile eggs u
they are put In tho nest she will continue 10 pull
them out and will finally quit laying and abandon
! the nest
About fifteen eggs constitute a setting" and
| the period 81 incubation is forty two days The
| male bird does the greater share Of this labor.
| lie takes charge 81 the nest at o'clock in the
! evening and remains with it until Q o'clock in
! the morning. when the female takes charge.
| Al noon he relieves her for an hour. while she
| lunches and she then keeps house until O'Clock.
ono II the most interesting characteristics OF
the ostrich is the manner IN WHICH he takes what
! may he called his constitutional" Every morn
| ing az sunrise the herd ~ young males engages
| in a foot race. which concludes in n combination
cake walk and reel In single file they will race
| thoroughly limhrred up. and then suddenly
! forming in n group go through gyrations tina,
! walk and the happy jag" II is n grotesquc
! performance, but there is singular grace In the
| birds play. and when they In full plumage,
with their great wings spread. the sight Is beaut
| full.