South African Ostriches

Just lisien to Sir Cornwallis Harris, whilc he describes a troop of tbem, puting their best fcet tbrmostupon thedesert: "They have already been peering over Iieir slioulders at you for a considerable time past, and baving apprehended your design, now ra se their white-plumcd wings above their backs, and working tliem like paddies, wíth a moiion correslonding with tliat of the legs, are gotting gently under weigh. No sooner do they )erceive by your increased pace tliat you are really in cnrnest, than letting on heir steam, they begin to travel at a rate that beggars all description, moving their lillar-like legs wilh a rapidity that might ïiake you believe they were skimmingabove the ground, did not their great heavy toes make the dust and pobbles fly behind them, and crealing as muc.h dotter as h horse in trotting. With their long, straight, slender necks reared high above the withered shrubs like knobbed stnkcs in a hedge row, and their delicate white plumes floating in the rude breeze of the desert - those snowy plumes whioh are destined perhaps some day to wave in regal palaccs above the marble brow of beauty, with long, hasty strides, oars and paddies going, here come the running ostiiches; and in ten more seconds will cross the path from which, in another direction, you are urging your panting courser lo meet them. A noble cock is leading. in stature some yard or so loftie ; than yourself, and ciad in a suit of deef , mouming, bis sable shroud surmounte i by three bunches 'of nodding j)lumes ar gent. Now you are nearly across hii - bows. Halt ! as he lufls up in the winc , to pass you - abandon your blowingsteed i who, by the bye, is not very likely to rui t away from you, hold your brenth tight z rrs the gigantic bird thundefs past, Ie t drive at bis swarthy ribs."Every body has heard of the stupidity of ihe ostrich; but Sir Coi'nwallis Harris is disposed on this point tocall in question the testimony of naturalista Ile makes it a point of conscience to rescue from ridicule the victims of his rifle; neither will he admitthe charge of want of affectionsoliberally chargedagainst the giant bird. Beyond the tropics, al least, ihey perform like kimi parents the task of incubation, both cocks and hens taking the duty by turns. No doubt their nests are not of the most elabórate construction, consisting only of a large hollow. like a bowl, scooped out of the sand, but furnished with an eievated rim to prevent the numerous eggs from rolling away. To capture these spoils was one of tlie chief nmusemen'.s ol'our travel'er's Hottentots. They never apparently inquired whether the shell contained young birds or not, but gobbled np its contenta with indiscriminating rèlish. His account of the style in which the black-faces robbed the . nocís is sincrularlv erotewiue."Wealways,' hesays, 'considered fresh oggs a prize worth carrying nway. The old birds are said to kick them to picces, shoiild even the print of a human loot bc discovered; but our followers were so unablo to endure the idea óf loaving a single one bchind, that ihey nfivcr failed to render this trouble superfluoiis. Tlie numberbeing often far greater thancould be convcniently dealt with, the expedtent by which the removal was cíFected proved highly diverting. Taking o ft their leather inexpressiblcs, which by the way, wcre more froquently earriednn the muzzle? of their guns thnn on their nother p.xlremities, the Moltentots tied the lower ends, so as te form a donblo sack, and crarnming them (uil, and placing them eithcr acro.ss the saddle or their own backs. Few exhibilions can bc conceivod more grotesque and divcrling than the iippcarance of the bandy-legged gentlemen en chemisc, thoir baboonish pli)Tiognomies protruding betwixt the slrai'dling ■ legs of s-jch a load, and oach diligent ly smokini: a clav-pipo as he advanced.-