The Newtown bee., 1904-04-29

to lay, -four years old,) are considered worth $500. Caroston, the owner of the ranch, brought the first birds ever imported to the United States, from Natal, South Africa. He managed to purchase 52 birds, and chartering and fixing out barge, shipped them for California via. Galveston. In one way and another several died, so that only A reached here safely. Within few weeks after this shipment the Natal government imposed a tax of $500 apiece on every ostrich shipped out of the Colony. Of course this stopped all further shipments, so the entire num- Der of ostriches scattered over large number of California farms, are de- scended from these first A birds. His handsomer pairs are all named and are in separate pens. We saw King Ed ward and queen, MT and Mrs Nc Kin ley, Prince Bismarck and various other notables. The handsomest pair was l.. P. Morgan and Mrs Morgan. The male bird is much the handSomer, glossy black, except tips of wings and tail, which are snowy white. His bill and legs are red, while the female is a dull grayish brown. The male bird walks with peculiarly springy step, as though he had coil of spiral wire in his legs, that sent him up with ev- cry step. Several of the pairs were not showing to as good advantage, as they, or rather the males were occupied with a nest of eggs. The female sets from about 9 o'clock in the morning, till tic cares behind, and her lord and mas ter is obliged to set on the eggs until the next morning. When the eggs, (weighing about three pounds), are once matched, however, neither parent will pay the slightest at tention to their offspring, and the baby ostriches are left entire ly to their own devices. One of the favOrite amuSementS of visitors to the farm is to feed the birds oranges. If thrown the bird will catch them and swallow them whole without as much as winkipg. It is funny to see the orange roll down his long slim neck, and as he will eat them as fast as thrown, his neck, which is several feet long and perfectly naked, will have a string of them rolling down to the feathery neck. It is said that full grown bird will eat from nine to 32 oranges at meal. Even the half know by feeding them. They look very mild and gentle but there are signs up all over the farm warning wis, itors to keep away from the fences, as the birds are dangerous. They say that they kick and that they have once or twice killed man-by kicking him. Just as I was entering the farm 1 heard noise that souned ex- actly like the hoarse believing of an angry bull, and the attendant told me that it was Prince Bismarck; that he
 had been cross all day. was in hopes l to get closer, and ''see him do it," but
 before we got to his pen he had quiet
 ed down. Occasionally two birds il
 the main pen get to fighting, but for
 tunately this is not common, as in
 that case, the farm is likely to be poor
 CT by the loss of fine ostrich. There
 is amusing story of such fight
 three years ago last fall, between tw'
 birds by the name of Nc Kinley ant
 Bryan. The latter was killed, and tn
 next morning the people of Los Ange
 les were startled and mortified to hea
 the newsboys yelling, and to see il
 great head lines on the top of all thei
 -'Terrible Fight!! Mo
 Kinley Kills Bryan!n' Some wer
 amused, but most were awfully ma
 to find after buying paper, that UT
 der these ''scareful" head lines, wa
 only an elaborately detailed account (
 an ostrich fight.