The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-12

branch OF the one at Ud1Seoooa. -
few years ago these entsrprising men
gathered and bought 6fty-two young
birds in Africa. They chartered a
vessel and landed thirty-nine OF them
safely in Galveston. The others died.
Last fall Mr.. Pearson, who is a MIS-
sisipp:an, brought over here number
of adult birds and also pair OF those
that came from Africa. He has here
now about thirty which are grown and
married and has a number OF chicks
from two days to four months old.
There is large inclosure, where the
males and females Of manageable
ages are turned in and kept until the
male makes his choice. The female
acouiesces without any coquetry. This
pair are then transferred to a smaller
inclosure, where the male at once
begins the process Of subjugation.
He treats her most shamefully-
strikes her, bites her, pursues her ana
gives the poor thing no rest. l saw
him at it, and wanted to take big
stick and maui him. Complete sub
iugation is his animus and after nc
gets that and she humbles herself to
the ground and pleads for mercy his
whole manner is changed. He takes
her to wife and treats her with the
greatest consideration and kindness
the rest Of their married life.
Very many Of these birds haze
mated, and every pair has a separate
Enclosure, say about 5OxlOO feet,
where they raise their young. The
len lays from twelve to twenty eggs.
lays them on the ground in saucer
like place, where the sand has been
scooped out. The eggs are in full
view and have no protection. When
the litter is all laid the male bird be-
gins the incubation and sets upon
them every day from 4 p. m. until 8
O'Clock next morning. The female
then promptly takes her place and
sets from 9 a. m. until 4 p. NJ, but
always takes few minutes off about
noon to partake of her dinner, which
the keeper provides, and consists Of
chopped cabbage and clover hay and
small stones and oyster shells. | for
got to mention that the hen lays an
egg every other day and the time of
incubation is forty days. My son,
who was with me, remarked to the old
Englishman that our common hens
laid an egg every day and on Sunday
they laid two. SIS that so, said he.
II was not aware of that. It is in
deed very wonderful, and how does
.he hen know when Sunday comes?'
aOh,' said my son, "they hear the
church bells ring.
Wonderful, wonderful, said the
old man with the simplest credulty.
So devoted is the male bird to his
first love, his 6nancee, that he cannot
by force or persuasion be induced to
take another. We saw poor, mlser-
able, lacerated hen in hospital quar-
tiers. She had all the skin torn from
her breast and Mr.. Pearson said the
keeper made mistake when he trans
ferred pair aud placed the wrong
female in the inclosure and the male
tried to kill her Immediately and liked
to have succeeded. She was not his
bride and he knew it.
As soon as the chicks break the
eggs and come forth they eat nothing
for two or three days. The mother
takes them up gently with her bill aud
warns them under her wings or how
,ers over them in the sand. I suppose
that is where the expression came
from-'.under the shadow Of thy
wings I saw but one new born
chick. 1t was only two days old.
There were quite number Of half
grown birds and they are ungraceful,
unseemly and almost hideous. In
deed, the adult birds are not much
better alter their plumes have been
pulled out. Every nine months they
have to submit to this degradation, for
the plumes bring in the revenue.
Each male bird gives but twelve black
plumcs at a picking and these arc
worth from 81 to 81 each. They are
exquisitely beautiful and if had been
rich I would have purchased a pair
for my bride. The females are a light
color of brown and white and furnish
from sixty to one hundred plumcs in
a season, but they do not bring halt
so much.
Mr.. Pearson says that ostriches well
kept live to be seventy-fye years OLD
and it does not cost much to keep
tLem-not half as much as it does te