Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-26
Ostrich Character
By.Frdsric 3. Haskin

Los Angeles, Calf. Nov. ls.-Will |
Some kind pgYchoanslyst please nnnlyze |
The mind, Of tho ostrieh3 Il
This, in The opinion ~ the keeper Of
oelfiohess 81 the Los Angeles ostrich farm, |
H. precLely what tho ostrich needs. The |
aieer bird has one Of the meaDcst dis |
positions 10 be found outside the human |
family. He exhibits many symptoms Of
tvt1icnl neiroses. And he poaseescs pc
etlliar. purifaycni ideas on tho questions
of sex. In his prejudices, preveTsitios aud
efnpidles, indeed, the bird u hlrnos,
human.
In the first place, the ostrich " abnor-
rnally fini<y about mating. Some nirds re-
main determined bachelors All urn
lives ard every ono chooses ms mate only
with great delay md caution. Usually
il takes two or three years Of carnest and
patient co1rtBhip on the part oi the
fannnEe ostrich before she ersnares her
prev Pnt ,rcc captured, the male ostrich
Il for devoted slave for life. lie hnttort
soxioilslv about her while she sits On tnr
family eogs, AID takes up an unneoeassnly
corohataat attitude one dfAdly re nhii
raised for fight, whenever another prn
or the keeper ventures WITHIN tnn ieet
Of her II sire dies, moreover, ne remains
melancholy widgwcr % tho end d hU daYa.
When the present keoper first carnc n
thia ostrich frnm, he very much doubted
thc osf richs sircerity on this polnt
had heard about t., hs. didnt beiisV'
# E" he said 50 when one q the nste- Wa
widowed 80 the rerut oi hH wue X
ting her head cOught ~ the ieLce, ne
keeper picked out the hrcst icInhle w
the fork mad offered rer as glbsdtnte
sf,o was in the pen just three seoondg,
L. AaI tn rel kEg tlfN
"a pet her out. AZ Il was, she receiTed
such hard kick thAt she nearly diedl ana
sh.. Is now in tho hospital poh, . 'ad A7a
crestfqilen bird a woman scorred
The feriale ostrich hae no such scruples
wher. il comes to rernarrylrg, and is pclite,
If not enthusiastic, 20 every stttor intr'-
elllced 10 her. Once in long while cleo
roale bird il found who is not - s'eft W
rno7. e,,aroistic There i Gre d ,h's tyEN
at the farm who mas condesceuded Z"
/ esuaalse Two wivcs they cail hin brz-
/ ham Young
DEADLY KICK
When the egtrlcb administers fgb'irg
/ kick with his great pointed 'oe naH q
usually all over With hIs victim, - t1r1
l.var apiuafl or man The fact ccN-
hir al With hia tricky, mean disp"sit'c0.
makes the csrc of ostriches An eTcifinR
occupation. Fortur ateiy, however he
bird is easily subdued by rcry s.rnfi"
thIrg g-G black stocking MI NJ ~ IT
nos to do i 10 slip a long black stock z
avar tho mead II al ohsfreTe-rus 0'Flor
,rd he immediately becnrnes a. hs-7nie'-
as hen Blirded in this fashion ry 4
stockirg ore 81 the prize os'nches p no
farm even gergnits nITnseli u z harr 'ssn' 4
10 a light wagon, which be pulls n ger
atrIv strides around the path - ~
fam greatly 10 the delight of ne to'4ris's
who iave 10 have themselves photo
graphed = The arazirg Tig
1he Ios Angeles ostrich farm = EneFf
the city headquarters q 4 nlneh afse
farm which il sItueted Tar ebt ~ 'n'
"a allav away from tie path n the traveHn'
r,,rl,o There hundreds 81 ostrctes ~
ker.+ IL 4 semi Wild strte, ard Eea- acre
IL .ifslf. growrfor their food itut - ~
.itv farm Il aa exact duplinetr K
eroalIer scaic ne tourist feels Il IA ~ "a
recoived lls rno@ey's worth wEfn n pay'
bls 5O re4ts ~ zee hcw ostrich esther
are produced n Calif1rnla-
Az ore end oi the erc!rsiTe ia "firi
the. few r.rv bros are contai-e - is sErei
incubator plant. Here lew a me ai4Ee
.geckled eggs. weighing anywhere .-NH
-hrae ard i half n fve pounds are AWAY
an exhibit. Visitors are permitted Il
harrIa hem, and occasionally they @r'
.oid far. contrary 10 popular .euei
4trlch eggs are quite paistaDle 1stnci
nets iay o. au average q ever '-e
dav during the laysng 7eRson. Ae esA
t.ke - ,avs 10 hatch y ne .acHbatl
TIE BIRDS .re rever allowed - 70 'l-e'
own EatchIrgJ ard si,er he c-4eA4 enneFS
! Trarn the shell they are lefr y ne II
- ~
a-a dry Then they are placed .n z.
brood peas, uEtI they are siA Il e'sh
, weeks I'D Il S AZ this ge that the OstElc
7srfrrTr. MS famous silly -rIck u nUTyin
lis head ID TIE sand, ~alca : 1Ot b" SAL
.-ter all tecause IL such position
fo,ks ike large bunch u dTy lass.
When eight weeks oid babes AIe Ia
fe~red 20 ru.s, enclosed Oy HlIe i~i e
rhev low az tle rate ID : loot : ,noA'
until rney are six months o.d, ~4ea ne
are supposed q have reached 'neir .l
height. According &C the keepef ~
males anc females look a-lke i.---4 u
reach his axe. when the feathers p %
faa5p Begin e0 tura hilcs alc tnc-e 90 '-
female remain Nsy his ccai ge p -a-,
sear1s to De 3 clever scheme az N.t-tt
for protecting he young, tor the - Del
ct the female, who sits On the est ~. q.
the dav. match the color ct the sa-.I %.
those II the lnale. who guards ne s.
~ night. can1ot be seen IA the ---H
GROWN N SIX NoNrhs.
At the age oi six months, also. tAe lre
receive heir fist clipping, a40 tac1vAi't
arc clipped ~ intervals Of niJe u1-'L
The feat hers are never p.ucket, but a
rhpDed within two l,ches t ING ocQ,
The short cod Of qlil left hea-S owe
falls out, and 3 new enc starts 70 uoW
its place From 70 - "a pluJDes are &.
t.ired from each WIG q the 7sulca,
addition 70 q number OF small teatae-
every one Of which can be used con
TnercieIly. Often $3.50 worth Of feathe
: are taken of ore bird st = clipping
The ostrich adults cannot he trusted
the same pen with their own offspring Z,
: whom they cherish no affection what's
ever Ususlly, IN fact, their impulse IS
kill the young ones on sight. IN the vii
state they are tender parents, but tt
I keeper explained that here st the far
( under the Incubator system, they ev,
I hatch or raise their young, who appear 4
: more strange and irritating u them tina
: the chickens and sparroWS that rcS
: about the ostrich enclosure
( The breeding Of ostTiches for the
I feathers has been a tremendous success
: California 1t originated ia the town
: Norxy, IL choflf 20 wears QcD. ant aial