"The ancients knew the ostrich as the `camel-bird,' (_Struthio
camelus_). This name was given to it on account of its fancied
resemblance to the camel; and in its hoof-like two-toed feet, its long
naked thighs and neck, and the pad or cushion on its chest,
corresponding to the callosity on the breast of the camel, it does bear
a resemblance to this animal. Like it, too, the ostrich is formed for
the desert. Aristotle and Pliny described the ostrich as half bird,
half quadruped."
As soon as Hans had given the more scientific part of the natural
history of the ostrich, Swartboy's knowledge of the habits of the bird
was produced, and from both were collected the details that follow.
Ostriches are gregarious--flocks of _fifty_ may be seen upon the plains,
peacefully associating with zebras, quaggas, wildebeests, blue
wildebeests, and several other plain-frequenting antelopes.
The males are polygamous, and usually have from two to six wives. These
lay twelve to sixteen eggs each, in a nest which is only a hole scooped
out in the sand about six feet in diameter. Not more than half the eggs
are deposited in the nest. The others lie scattered around, and are
never hatched.
Swartboy alleged that these were intended to feed the young when they
came out of the shell: but Hans dissented from this opinion. The
naturalist believed that those scattered about were superfluous eggs,
which were not deposited in the nest because one bird could not cover
all that the whole family of hens would lay; and that once the "setting"
was complete, the superfluous eggs were dropped about anywhere.
There is a good deal of probability in this conjecture of the young
naturalist.
It is certain that the scattered eggs are those last laid, and that the
birds continue to drop them after the incubation has commenced, but
whether they form the food of the young is a disputed point. One bird
can cover from thirty to forty, placed as they usually are upon their
ends, and Swartboy said that he had often found this number in a nest,
but more frequently thirty was the "setting."
The male takes part in the incubation, sitting during the night; when
his greater size and strength enable him the better to protect the eggs
from cold. The "hens" relieve one another during the day, but when the
sun is hot all leave the nest to itself, for hours at a time.
Hans stated, that in the more tropical regions the eggs are forsaken for
long spells, and the hot sand and _sun_ do the work of the parent birds;
and that on this account the period of incubation is not fixed, but
ranges from thirty to forty days.
The young when hatched are well developed, and in a day or two become as
large as guinea-hens, leaving the nest and running about in charge of
the parent birds.
At this period the old ones are very careful of their offspring. When
an enemy approaches, the hen that has charge of the flock will endeavour
to attract the intruder upon herself, making a feint of being wounded,
spreading and drooping her wings, and tumbling from side to side along
the ground, while the cock draws off the chicks in an opposite
direction! Partridges, wild ducks, and many other birds, do the same.
The eggs of the ostrich are of a dull white colour. They are not all of
equal size, nor are the birds either. A medium-sized ostrich-egg is six
inches long, and weighs about three pounds. It is excellent eating when
broiled among hot cinders, and is a meal for a man,--some say two, some
three, while others allege that it is not enough for one. But "a meal
for a man" is a very uncertain standard, and depends a good deal on the
capacity of the man's stomach and the state of his appetite. A better
standard is found in the estimate that one ostrich-egg is equal in
quantity to twenty-four of the common domestic fowl.
The shells of the ostrich-eggs are very strong, and used by the Bushmen
and other natives of the desert as water-vessels--the only vessels that
some of them have.
A full-grown cock ostrich stands over nine feet in height, and weighs
three hundred pounds. The legs of such a bird are immensely thick and
muscular, and the thigh-joint equals in size the largest leg of mutton.
The ostrich is thought to be the swiftest runner in creation, but there
are doubts about this. Certain it is that it cannot be overtaken by a
horse in a fair tail-on-end chase; but the bird makes "doubles" in
running, and by observing these, the mounted hunter sometimes gets near
it by making a cut upon it, and delivers his fire as it passes. To run
an ostrich down, however, is considered an impossibility, even by the
Arab on his fleet steed. Its bottom is equal to its speed, as it can
keep up the pace for hours together.
The muscular strength of its great long legs is well adapted for running
fast and far; and while on the run, its hoofs make a clatter like those
of a trotting horse, while large stones are flung violently to the rear!
When at full speed it spreads its white wing-plumes, raising them over
its back, but this is only done to balance it, as it could not fly a
single yard.
Its principal weapon of defence is the leg with its hoof-like foot.
With this it can kick like a mule, and the blow will break a man's leg,
or send the breath out of his body, as would the kick of a horse!
But the principal security of the ostrich lies in its splendid power of
vision, combined with its peculiar habitat. It is always on the naked
plain, with nothing to interrupt the view, and its keen eye enables it
to perceive an enemy long before the latter can get near enough to do it
an injury. So sharp is its sight, it can see even farther than it can
be seen, large as it is!
A most difficult matter it is to get within shooting distance of these
wary birds. Sometimes a shot is obtained by lying in wait for them at
vleys, or springs, where they come to drink. Many people deny that they
ever drink, as they are met with at great distances from water; but it
should be remembered that what may appear a great distance to a tired
traveller may be nothing to a fleet ostrich, who can fling the miles
behind like a race-horse.
Others have observed the ostrich come to drink at a particular place
once every day; and it is well known that in captivity they swallow
large quantities of water. After drinking they do not run so well, and
hunters take advantage of this and run them down after leaving the pool.
There are hunters residing upon the desert karoos, who hunt the ostrich
as a profession. The feathers are of considerable value, as well as the
skin, which is tough and strong, and tans into a fine species of
leather, out of which jackets and other garments are made. A skin
without the feathers is worth about one pound sterling; and the long
white plumes of the wings and tail,--of which there are five-and-forty
(the finest are from the wings,)--are often sold for a shilling apiece
on the spot.
Groot Willem observed that the ostrich may be easily domesticated, and
he had frequently seen tame ones about the kraals of the frontier boors.
They are a useless pet, however; and, although quite harmless as far as
man is concerned, they become troublesome in the farm-yard, where they
trample the poultry to death, and sometimes gobble up chicks and young
ducks, not from any carnivorous propensity, but on account of their
extreme voracity: an old rag would be swallowed in the same way.
The proper food of the ostrich is tops of shrubby plants, with grain and
seeds, though they "bolt" many odd and indigestible substances. They
are fond of salt, like most wild animals, and are often seen in large
flocks around the salt-pans, or "salines," many of which exist upon the
desert plains of Africa.
The flesh of the young ostrich is very palatable, but that of an old
bird is rather tough and rank. Their eggs, however, are esteemed a
delicacy, though some think them heavy.
The voice of the ostrich under ordinary circumstances is a deep sonorous
chuckle, though at times it gives out a roar resembling that of the
lion. When wounded or brought to bay, it hisses like an enraged gander.
So much for the ostrich; and now Hans proceeded, as he had promised, to
say a word or two about its relatives.
The "rhea" is its South American representative, but it has been lately
discovered that there are two distinct species in South America, the
"nandu," (_Rhea Americana_), and the "petise," or Darwin's rhea, (_Rhea
Darwinii_). They resemble each other in form, colour, and general
habits, but differ in size and geographical range. The nandu is the
larger, and dwells upon the wide plains of La Plata, whereas the petise
is confined to the southern part of Patagonia.
The nandu resembles the African bird in form, and its dingy brown colour
is not far from that of the hen ostrich. Its size, however, is much
less, being only five feet in height. The plumes of its wings are less
beautiful and valuable than those of its African cousin, though they are
also a marketable article, being used for fly-brushes and other
household implements.
The habits of the rhea show a great similarity to those of the
_Struthio_, and it is quite a folly to make separate genera of them.
The rhea is gregarious, polygamous, scoops a slovenly nest in the
ground, hatches from twenty to thirty eggs, scatters many others around,
runs swiftly when pursued, hisses and kicks violently when assailed, and
is shy and wary. All these are habits of the ostrich. The rhea,
however, has some peculiarities. It feeds upon small fish cast up on
the mud banks of rivers, and on roots and grass. It also takes freely
to the water, and can cross rapid streams by swimming. The gauchos hunt
it with both _lazo_ and _bolas_.
Darwin's rhea is less in size, but very similar in colour, form, and
habits. It also swims well, and frequents plains near the coast. It is
beyond doubt a very closely allied species to _Rhea Americana_, but a
bird of a colder habitat.
The nandu is not found in North America, nor any species of bird allied
to the ostrich. In this respect Nature has neglected the vast desert
plains of prairie-land.
Even in South America the range of the rhea is limited, and does not
extend to the equator, though it comes much farther within the tropics
than is generally imagined. It has lately been seen on the savannahs of
the Madeira River, far to the north of the La Plata plains.
Another cousin of the ostrich is the "emeu," (_Dromanis Novae
Hollandiae_). I give the clumsy title of the closet-naturalists, though
there is no reason in the world why this bird should be separated from
the genus of either ostrich or rhea, except to confuse the student of
natural history.
In form and habits it resembles both, and in colour it is quite like the
rhea. It is, however, a much taller bird--standing seven feet--and a
full-grown male approaches the standard of a hen ostrich.
It has all the characteristics of the ostrich--is gregarious,
polygamous, nestles on the ground, shy, wary, runs swiftly, swims well,
kicks so as to kill a dog or break the leg of a man, utters an odd
drumming note, and lays eggs nearly as large as those of the ostrich,
but of deep green colour. The eggs of the rhea are of a bluish cast.
It is supposed that, like the rhea, there are two species of emeu--
another and smaller one having been reported as existing in the northern
parts of the great island of Australia.
In the peninsula of Malacca and the islands of the Asiatic Archipelago,
the ostrich has a representative that differs from it more than either
rhea or emeu. This is the cassowary, (_Cassuarius cassoar_). Its body
is covered with a thick coat of feathers of a deep black colour, and so
disposed as to present a hairy appearance, while its head and neck are
naked, the skin of these parts being of the loveliest blue-purple and
scarlet blended together.
The cassowary differs from the ostriches in many respects. It is not a
bird of the desert, but dwells in fertile districts and feeds upon soft
succulent herbage. It resembles the ostriches, however, in most of its
habits. Like them it defends itself by kicking, deposits its eggs on
the ground, and leaves them to be hatched by the sun; is bold when
assailed, is fleet and strong, and altogether may be regarded as one of
the most interesting of the tribe, or of birds in general.
Hans mentioned the "apteryx," or kiwi-kiwi, only to say that there were
two species of it very much alike, both natives of New Zealand, both
nocturnal and burrowing in their habits; and Hans added that he did not
regard them as belonging to the ostrich family at all, any more than the
"auks" or "penguins." Thus ended the talk about the wingless birds.