The Republican journal., 1904-04-28

Hudsons Bay Company; and others
generally those who have not been
here to the Peruvian deserts. and even
to Sahara, Cobb. and the steppes of
Maurezm. There are deep valleys
which the dreaded pampe IRIS cannot
penetrate, furrowed by mountain tor
rents and dotted with picturesque lakes
blackened by wild ducks that are tame
as barnyard fowls, having never learned
the fear of man.
The plague of eastern Patagonia is
the pamperas, or prairie winds, cold
and cutting, that occasionally sweep
the country with the fury of hurri-
canes, demolishing everything in their
path.
The principal Industry of Pata-
gonia-if such term can be applied to
the slovenly habits of Indians-is hunt
ing guanacos and oStriches, for the
skins Of the former and the feathers of
the latter are valued articles of COM
merce, and the flesh of both serves for
lOOu Ill liCNSl lOl uS
in Punta Arenas, Notwithstanding the
dearth of what is generally considered
good society, and however closely we
may be confined indoors by bowling
gales and storms of sleet, for there are
ostrich-hunters to be interviewed, peo-
pie who have been brought up, as it
were, among those ungainly birds and
have spent the best years of their lives
in pursuing them. Our interest in the
subject never flags and evening after
evening we sit at the feet (fguratively
hailed originally from Maine, l believe,
but has lived in these parts more than
thirty years and has come to be con-
sdered authority on ostrich lore.
wish l could reproduce for you his
funny drawl and way-down-East ex-
preston; but space will not permit
more than a condensed statement of
the main facts l have cleaned concern
ing American ostriches.
In the first place it should be under
stood that two distinct, species of
ostriches stalk over these plains, and
that each species has its range, con-
fined within certain limits. Thus the
great struthero rhea, which more near
ly resem bleS the African ostrich, roamS
the northern pampas but never comes
below the Chuput River; and the
smaller struthero Darwinii, indigenous
to the neighborhood of the Straits, is
not found upon the pampas. The
northern variety is hereabouts known
as "Avestruz moro (gray BIRDS, their
plumage being uniformly gray; while
those of the south have brownish feath-
ers tipped with white Both build the
rudest kind of nests, merely a shallow
hole scratched in the ground under the
shelter of a bush, and softened by
wisp of grass. The females are the
LATEST of birds, for one nest serves
for several of them, who all deposit
their eggs in it and go gadding,
leaving their husbands to hatch the
chicks. There are usually from thirty
to forty eggs in nest, and as each egg
is about equal in size to ten hens eggs,
it requires considerable spread to cover
them. The period of incubation aver
ages twenty-five days; and it is fact
that the male bird squats patiently up
on the nest, day after day, until all are
Matched, and then he looks after the
babies till they are able to take care of
themselves. During rainy weather the
faithful father never leaves the eggs
for a moment, and has been known to
stick to them week or more without
feeding. When the weather is fine he
StrayS away an hour or two toward
evening, to stretch his long legs and
get something to eat. If a fox or
other animal steals or breaks an egg
during his absence, he knows it the in
slant he returns, and then his rage
knows no bounds; he will dash the re-
naming eggs to pieces and dance.
around the debris like lunatic. After
the Matching period, the females lay
their eggs promiscuously about the
plains. The natives call these ''hatchos,
and the women and children spend
good deal of time hunting them. They
keep fresh for half year fresh enough
for Patagonian,) and one egg, being
equal to eight or ten hens eggs, is con-
sidered the fair quota for one persons
dinner The DarWinii ostriches are ex-
tremely shy, and as their vision is re-
markedly acute, it is not an easy mat
ter to capture them, unless the hunter
has well-trained dogs. The American
bird has many habits in common with
his African cousin. One of these is
that he scoots ahead in straight line
when pursued, and always against the
wind, if he can. Aware of this habit,
the Patagonians chase him on horse
back, first placing some of their party
in ambush in the direction which he is
likely to take. They then gallop full
tilt up to the lines OF flight, and either
intercept the ostrich altogether or
''hopple'' it with a pair of bolas The