File:Birds and their ways; (1883) (14565120389).jpg

Identifier: birdstheirways00chur (find matches)
Title: Birds and their ways;
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Church, Ella Rodman, b. 1831
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Philadelphia, Presbyterian board of publication
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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assowary and the emeu, areto be found in Africa and Australia, andthese we shall next study, afterward re-turning to our European birds. CHAPTER XVII. FEATHERED HORSES: THE OSTRICH I AM so glad, said Malcolm, that wehave come to ostriches ! Why? asked his governess. Be-cause there is so much of them, or becauseyou hope to hear of wonderful exploits ? I suppose, replied the boy, trying tocollect his reasons, that it is because theylive in Africa, and—and because the nativeshunt them. Anyhow, Ive always liked os-triches. Miss Harson smiled as she said, (iA great many people like ostriches,Malcolm. Some like their feathers, sometheir eggs, some use them as horses ; but itis quite probable that, on the whole, the os-trich would prefer not being * liked. It isan immense bird, as it usually measuresseven feet from the ground to the top of its 198 THE OSTRICH. I99 head, and an outstretched wing is three feetlong. Its weight—about eighty pounds—prevents it from flying, but this drawback
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THE OSTRICH (Struthio camelus). is almost balanced by its wonderful swift-ness in running. The plumage of ostriches is generallyblack and white, though some are gray;the largest feathers are at the ends of the 200 BIRDS AND THEIR WA YS. wings and the tail. The only use whichtheir short wings appear to be to the birdsis to balance them in running, as by aconstant flopping and quivering they pre-serve that accuracy of equilibrium which isnecessary when an animal of such sizepresses forward with the speed of a rail-way-engine. Dr. Livingstone says thatthe speed of an alarmed ostrich is thirtymiles an hour—greater than that of thefleetest horse. The feathers of this bird comprise itsmost valued part, and have long been anarticle of commerce; for it is quite truethat, as has been said, our most splendidattire is composed of the shreds we stealfrom one and another—from sheep andfrom silkworms. Observe that womannow passing so loftily. She has uponher head a feather plucked from the tail

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