Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-08-22
HABITS o. TIE osTRIcH.
a McdsI q Homogeneous FI6safy.
Their Morning Exercise.

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one n Kansas and ore IA FIors4a.
and there are not less than elk thou
sand OF the gigantic birds IN lis
country growing plunes for H. -
dy's headgear.
The original crtr1ch farm n South
Pasadena Is annually visited ~ thou
sands OF tourists. The big birds are
kept IN fields enclosed with high
fences. They appear to be as tame -
domestic fowls; but It Is not safe for
strangers to take too much for grazt-
ed. as tho male bird Is often III tcra-
peEeds andshis kick Il worse than that
OF a mule.
Early morning visitors witness tie
most interesting performance Of tire
birds, the matin waltz. When tie
suns first rays strike across the field.
the birds take their morning exercise
70 stretch their muscles and Danish
tie chill Of the night The larger
ones begin the performance with 4
slow, stately dance, something ike a
minuet. Presently the whole nock
joins In the measure, stepping high
ana weaving n ana o,,t & - ..,.....
TO be a set though complicated figure.
As the dance proceeds the speed Of the
movement increases; then the birds
begin to whirl about and presently the
quadrille merges into a waltz. The
dancers. holding their heads high.
raise their wings and spread their
piLMeS IN the sunshine. and In pairs
Naitl soiemniy, ssrenu0usIy for .
quarter Or an hoEy.
Viewed from a distance. a hand Of
Waiting ostriches-whe.. the birds ara
In full feather-is a beautiful rictura
At close range the urcternatural erav-
ity Of the bird engaged n the aaeun-
ingly frivolous pastIme Of the waltz
makes him an frreSiztIhlv eor,s.
nguTe.
Ostrich farms are most attractive -,
visitors at pIucIxinv time once ~
nine months. To one never having
witnessed the operation It seems cutie
a formidable task 10 canture ara
hold $50 pound bird and relieve Il or
its plumage.
Rut the farrar - d....-..
that makes Il ! ,ar,y s,r,,-,r~ ,,-.1s -
Selecting a bird rv5ogo r,I,,,-e, -
ready To pluck be i artsoaS .,'its
sugar beets into a triangular encros-
ure, then to the narrow end ana there
imprisoned with bars. The ostrich IL
enraged when he finds that he i i'm
prisoned, but in a moment his head
Is enveloped in a sack. and being
blinded, he becomes quiet and submits
siYe. me plucking is painless. Only
the smaller feathers are pulled as the
featners are plueked from geese. The
large plumes are cut with care TO pre-
serve the sockets of the quill from
injury.
Natural white or rare black pIumes
require only washing and curling. hut
most Of the plumes are gray and must
be dyed for the market. The raw
feathers are sold IN San Francisco
and New York, where they are pre-
pared for the trade by being washed.
dyed, starched, curled and pieced. The
ostrich plume on lady's hat is no
more like the feather worn BY the
bird than a sealskin jacket is like the
natural fur of his original wearer.
When the ortrich is three or four
years old he chooses q mate for life
The usual span OF ostrich life IL ahout
so years. 1t will be seen, therefore,
that this singular bird is a model OF
homogeneous fidelity.
Also, he is a model husband. for
he does more than half Of the family
work. The male partner makes tho
nest by kicking a hole in the ground
a foot deep and three feet across and
when the u or Is eggs are laid. he
takes his turn at Matching. dividing
the time with his partner III even
watches. Forty days are required to
hatch the eggs, which are IN proper
ton to the size OF the bird.
Often there e a surnIus ~ eces ~
the ostrich farm ana ho,ela a 80
vicinity are supplied with the n,afergsI
for omelets at fancy.prIces curioait,
$780, 4<..-f~t-