Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22

is going on, the horses are carefully attended,
watered and fed with corn, and the party
remains quiet for forty-eight hours to rest
the animals After that they reurn to the
camp or seek more game.
To the Arab, the chase of the ostrich has
double attraction-that of pleasure and of
profit. The price obtained for the skins well
compensates for the expense.
Not only do the rich enjoy the pursuit, but
the poor, who know how to arrange for it, as
well. The usual thing is for poor Arab to
bargain with some one who is well-to-do, for
the use OF his horse, camel, harness and two
thirds of the necessary provisions.
The borrower furnishes the remaining third,
and the result of the chase is divided in the
same proportion
Within the last tweny years successful at
tempts have been made to domesticate the
ostrich, and thus save it from complete ex-
termination at the hands of reckless hunt
ers.
In many portions of Africa, ostrich farms
have been established, and several farms are
now in operation in this country Ostriches
are so much creatures of climate that these
farms will always be confined to limited
area in California, Arizona and New Mexico,
but there is ample room to raise all the birds
needed for years to come.
An ostrich farm is one of the strangest
sights imaginable, especially during round
up when the birds are being driven towards
the corral to be plucked.
1t is lucrative business when conducted
WIN care ana skill, DuG 0OG eutneiy Iet
from danger, as the ostrich is by no means
meek bird.
Doctor Shaw says that while ostriches APP
pear tame and tractabe to persons well
known to them, they are often very fierce to
strangers, whom they will try to push down,
by running fierceIy at them, and will peck at
them and strike with their feet.
The natural food of the ostrich consists or
dinarily of vegetable substances, especially
grain and the ostrich is great enemy to the
f.,1 faV R,rf rfc nf
obtuse that leather, old nails, buttons, bits
of tin, keys coins and pebbles are devoured
with apparent relish; nothing comes amiss.
But the bird doubtless follows an instinct,
down and preparing for digestion its ordi..
nary food like the gravel in the crops OF
our domestic poultry.
Cuvier found in the stomach of an ostrich
that died in Paris pound OF stones, bits
of iron and copper, and pieces of money worn
down by constant attrition. -,
In the stomach of one of these birds which
belonged to the ,menagerie Of George lV,
there were some pieces of wood, several large
nails and hens egg entire and unlnJured,
taken, perhaps, as delicacy
In another stomach, besides several large
cabbage stalks, there were pieces OF brick
the size of a mans fist Professor Spar
mann relates that he has seen ostrlches so
tame that they went to and fro on the farm
where they were raised but so voracious that
thew would swallow chickens whole, and
trample hens to death, and then tear them
in pieces to devour, and one terrible great
bird had to be killed on account of an
awkward habit he had acquired OF trampiIng
sheep to death.
But the most wonderful thing. perhaps,
showing the capacity Of an ostrich stomach,
Is that afforded by Doctor Shaw, who saw
one swallow bullet after bullet as they were
pitched scorching hot from the mould
II has become a proverbial expression, in
alluding to person whose digestion is perfect,
to saw "he has the stomach of an ostrich"