Evening star., 1934-06-03
Ostrich Farming in Argentina
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN,

Although there have been many
goodwill tours of South America by
distinguished Americans, it is doubt
full whether any one has had so
marked an effect as the trip Of Sec
retary of State Cordell Hull last
Autumn. The Secretary went, pri-
marily, to attend the Pan American
Conference at Montevideo, but he en-
countered South Americans from all
| the republics. Since his return there
has been an unusual access of in
terest in South American affairs. A
| highway is to be built connecting the
continents, favored quota treatment
| has been accorded South American
| wines and a number of other de-
velopments have taken place. Ameri-
cans have renewed interest in the
great Southern continent as land
of opportunity.
/ One of the most fascinating pursuits
in the Argentine Republic is ostrich
| farming. The demand for ostrich
| feathers varies with the trend Of
| fashion. When. few years ago. the
Empress Eugene hat enjoyed a brief
vogue, the ostrich feather business in
both South Africa and Argentina
reached boom proportions. and there
is no telling when styles may veer
! into some form which will call for
! the plumes There is always some
market for them.
1t can scarcely be promised that
almost any one who goes to Argen-
| tina to follow this business will pros
per. but it is fairly certain that almost
any one at all interested in birds
would have a good time.
The South American ostrich is a
different bird from the South African.
! Its scientific name is Rhea Ameri-
cana. The rhea is a smaller creature
than the South African bird. stand
ing only from 80 to 40 inches tall.
The South Africans stand feet
sometimes. However. the rhea has
! fine feathers and was, indeed. de-
| scribed by w. H. Hudson, the great
| naturalist. as "the noblest avian type
on the great bird continent" Most
of the birds are naturally grayish. or
with mixed gray and white feathers.
| but, in recent years. an albino type
| has been discovered and is being bred
rapidly. Its plumes are especially
| valuable
/ Prehistoric Survival.
South America has a type Of arma-
! dillo which has been declared bv
! naturalists to be an attenuated sur
vival of a prehistoric monster There
have long been legends to the effect
! that. in the unexplored heart of
| Brazil, there still are remnants of
! creatures which lived on earth in
great numbers some millions of years
ago. In this connection it is in
teresting to note that Dr. George Gay
! lord Simpson of the American Mu-
scum of Natural History has pointed
out that the rhea leaves tracks very
similar 10 those left in fossil forma-
/ tions by dinosaurs. OF course, the
! dinoSaur was not a bird and was, in
fact, quadruped, but the similarity
! is that both dinosaur of cons ago
and rhea of today leave similar three
toed tracks. The African ostrich has
but two toes.
| II there is a remote connection be-
tween this modern bird and prehis-
toric times before the age of man. the
rhea does not appear snobbish about
! its greater ancestry. 1t is one of the
| friendliest of creatures. Young birds
when taken from their parents. will
! follow their owner about like a dog
In the Geological Gardens at Buenos
Aires 1t Is not necessary to confne
the creatures. They wander about the
! lawns. mingling with visitors.
The rhea has the strangest breeding
habits of any creature in the world OF