Catoctin clarion., 1900-09-27
WAYOF THE OSTRICH
OBSERVATIONS BY ONE WHO
RAISES THEM.

The Male Ostrich Has But One Mate
and the Female Is Rather Stupid
Ostrich Amusements Are Of Pc
culiar Character.
The Phoenix, Arizona, herd Of os-
triches inhablts an alfalfa pasture or
forty acres, three miles north of the
city. The herd is second in size In Am
erica, numbering 175 birds. the largest
herd being at Fullerton, Cal, and num-
bering 800 birds.
The first birds brought from South
Africa to America for breeding pur-
poses came to California in 1857. III
1888 fourteen chicks from this herd
were brought to Phoenix for exhibl-
tion, and were bought by Josiah Har-
bert, who proposed to breed them Inc
purchase was made during the sum
mer and Mr.. Harbert put the young
birds in coops, carefully covered the
coops with cloths to keep out the sun,
and drove out to his home IN Alham'
bra. All the birds but two were smoth-
cred to death during the trip. 1t being
impossible to distinguish between the
sexes in young ostriches, and fearing
he had no male bird, Mr.. Harbert pur-
chased one of the male birds brought
from Africa. The 175 birds constltu-
ting the present herd are his descen-
dants. He has been honorably retired,
and with the dignity betitting his pa
triarchial position he knocks the stuff
fiug out of everything that comes with
in his reach 1t was not long ago that
he engaged NJ. Pickrell, President of
the Arizona Ostrich Company, in an
impromptu SCRAP" and while Mr..
Pickrell is husky old bird himself
and was armed with wooden pitch
fork, old "Oom Paul" hit him one welt
and knocked him out for several days.
The ostrich is a monogamist. AT least
he has but one wife Mt n time. The
matchmaking Is arranged by the hu.
man keeper, who puts each pair or
birds in a separate corral Mr.. Ostrlch
Is likely to consider the question OF
marriage for some days after he IS IN.
troduced to his partner, and much
thought on the question colors his
shinS and beak bright red. When he
finally determines that family
should he reared, he digs a nest in the
ground. lie then drives his mate up to
the nest and calls her attention to 1t
by giving her a kick. If she Is dull of
comprehension, and she usually Is. he
continues to kick her and scold her.
and his voice much resembles the roar
OF the lion. He Is often compelled 10
go to the extreme of kicking her over
the S-foot fence forming the corral.
She finally, however, sees her duty
and begins to lay eggs which average
three pounds in weight. The first two
or three eggs are not fertile and will
not hatch. This fact curiously enough,
Is known to the mother and she lays
them outside the nest But In this there
Is a wonderful provision Of nature
On the African desert the nesting OF
the wild birds is done In the hills or
mountains, far from water and the
haunts of beasts or men. But while
the nest may he many miles from wa
ter, the first requirement of the chick
when he comes from the shell is water
or it's equivalent in liquid food. Hence
the necessity Of the two or three Stcr-
lie eggs, which the mother breaks af-
ter her brood is born, and on which
the chicks live until they are strong
enough to travel.
Left to her own Judgment the hen
lays perhaps ten eggs, at the rate Of
one in two days, and when the nest
looks comfortably full, the incubation
begins. But the artice Of man de-
ceives her. He systematically takes
the eggs from the nest, and as long as
her work seems to Ike unfinished tie
hen continues to produce eggs. BY this
system two hens on the Phoenix farm
last year produced fifty eggs each She
cannot be deceived, however, rs to the
sterile eggs. If they are put in the nest
she will continue to pull them out, and
will finally quit laying and abandon
the nest.
About fifteen eggs constitute a set
ting, and the period Of incubation is
forty-twO days. The male bird does the
greater share of this labor. He takes
charge of the nest at 5 o'clock in the
evening and remains with it until
o'clock in the morning when the fc-
male takes charge. At noon he relieves
her for an hour, while she lunches,
and she then keeps house until
o'clock.
One OF the most interesting charac-
teristics Of the ostrich Is the manner
in which he takes what may be called
his constitutional Every morning at
sunrise the herd of young males en-
cages in foot race, which concludes
in a combination cake walk and reel
In single file they will race around the
pasture at two-minute gait, until
thoroughly limbered up, and then sud
denly forming in group 60 through
gyrations that suggest the waltz the
Virginia reel, the cake walk and the
happy jag" 1t is grotesque perfor-
thprp q a ~