Catoctin clarion., 1900-10-04
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.
cuIiar Character.
The Phoenix, Arizona, herd Of os'
triches nhabits an alfalfa pasture OF
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 1882. Iii
1883 fourteen chicks from this herd
were brought to Phoenix for exhibi-
ton, and were bought by Josiah llar-
bert, who proposed to breed them. The
purchase was made during the sum
mcr 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 Alhan'
bra All the birds but two were smotll-
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. Ilarbert pur-
chased one of the male birds brought
from Africa. The 175 birds constitu-
ting the present herd are his deScen-
dantS. He has been honorahly retired,
and with the dignity betting his pa
triarchal position he knocks the stut-
fling out of everything that comes With
in his reach. 1t was not long ago that
he engaged NJ. rickrell, President of
the Arizona Ostrich Company, in an
impromptu SCRAP" and while Mr..
Pickrell is a husky old bird himself
and was armed with wooden pitch.
fork, old Dom Faul' hit him one welt
and knocked him out for several days.
The ostrich is Il monoSamiSt. AT least
he has but one wife at time. Inc
match making is arranged by the lill-
man keeper. who puts each par or
birds in a separate corral. Mr.. siren
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 Il bright red. When he
finally determines that family
should he reared, he digs Il nest in the
ground. He then drives his mate up to
the nest and calls her attention to 1t
comprehension. and she usually Is, he
continues to kick her and scold her
AMI 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, secs her duty
and begins to lay eggs which average
three pounds in weight. The first two
II
not latch This fact. curiOusly enough,
is known to tie mother and she lays
them outside the nest. But in this there
is 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
haullts 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 its equivalent in liquid food. Hence
the necessity of the two or three Ster-
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. Bnt the artitiCe Of man de-
CCivcS her He Systematically takes
the eggs from the nest, and as long as
her work seems to be 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, as 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 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 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 he called
his constitutional" Every morning at
sunrise the herd OF young males en-
cages in foot race which concludes
in n combination cake walk and reel
In single file they will race around the
pasture at two-minutc gait, until
thoroughly limbcred up, and then sud
denly forming in n group so through
gyralions that suggest the waltz, the
Virginia reel, the cake walk and the
'happy jag" 1t is a grotcsque pcrfor
nance, but there is a singular grace in
the birds play, and when they are in
full plumage. with their great wings
spread. the sight is cautiful.-Phoeniy
Graphic.