File:The history of birds - their varieties and oddities, comprising graphic descriptions of nearly all known species of birds, with fishes and insects, the world over, and illustrating their varied (14747270111).jpg

Identifier: historyofbirdsth00bing (find matches)
Title: The history of birds : their varieties and oddities, comprising graphic descriptions of nearly all known species of birds, with fishes and insects, the world over, and illustrating their varied habits, modes of life, and distinguishing peculiarities by means of delightful anecdotes and spirited engravings
Year: 1880 (1880s)
Authors: Bingley, William, 1774-1823
Subjects: Birds Zoology
Publisher: Philadelphia : Edgewood Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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of a Turkey. It walks out alone without any danger of losing itself, and it is asserted that it will drive ducks and fowls to their feeding-place in the morning and bring them home at night, carefully collecting any stragglers. As for the bird itself it is never shut up, but sleeps just where it pleases, upon the roof of a barn or in the farmyard. Its trumpeting is described as resembling the sound produced by a person endeavoring to pronounce ton, ton, ton; ton, ton, ton, with his mouth shut, or the doleful noise made by the Dutch bakers, who blow a glass trumpet to inform their customers when their bread is taken out of the oven. 19 202 OF THE OSTRICHES IN GENERAL. OF THE OSTRICHES IN GENERAL. In the Ostriches, the bill is straight and depressed. The wings are small in proportion to the size of the body, and altogether useless for flight. The legs are naked above the knee: the number of toes, in one species, is two, and in the remaining species three; and these are placed forwards. OSTRICH HUNT.
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OSTRICH HUNT. THE BLACK, OR GREAT OSTRICH. 293 THE BLACK, OR GREAT OSTRICH. This Ostrich stands so high as to measure from seven to nine feet from the top of the head to the ground. From the back, however, it is seldom more than three or four feet, the rest of its height being made up by its extremely long neck. The head is small; and, as well as the greater part of the neck, is covered only with a few scattered hairs. The feathers of the body are black and loose; those of the wings and tail are of a snowy white, waved, and long, having here and there a tip of black. The wings are furnished with spurs. The thighs and flanks are naked; and the feet are strong, and of a gray-brown color. The foot of the Ostrich is not a little remarkable. It is divided into two toes only, and each toe, well padded beneath, is armed at the extremity with what may be properly called a hoof. The whole strongly resembles the foot of the camel. The sandy and burning deserts of Africa and Asia are the only native resid
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292 OF THE OSTRICHES IN GENERAL. OF THE OSTRICHES IN GENERAL. In the Ostriches, the bill is straight and depressed. The wings are small in proportion to the side of the body, and altogether useless for flight. The legs are naked above the knee: the number of toes, in one species, is two, and in the remaining species three; and these a placed forwards. OSTRICH HUNT. THE BLACK, OR GREAT OSTRICH. 293 THE BLACK, OR GREAT OSTRICH. This Ostrich stand so high as to measure from seven to nine feet from the top of the head to the ground. From the back, however, it is seldom more than three or four feet, the rest of its height being made up by its extremely long neck. The head is small; and, as well as the greater part of the neck, is covered only with a few scattered hairs. The feathers of the body are black and loose; those of the wings and tail are of a snowy, waved, and long, having here and there a tip of black. The wings are furnished with spurs. The thighs and flanks are naked; and the feet are strong, and of a grey-brown color. The foot of the Ostrich is not a little remarkable. It is divided into two toes only, and each toe, well padded beneath, is armed at the extremity with what may be properly called a hoof. The whole strongly resembles the foot of a camel. The sandy and burning deserts of Africa and Asia are the only native residences of the Black Ostriches. Here these birds are seen in flocks, so extensive as sometimes to have been mistaken for distant cavalry. There are many circumstances in the economy of the Ostrich, which differ from those of the feathered race in general. This bird seems to form one of the links of union in the great chain of nature, connecting the winged with the four-footed tribes. Its strong-jointed legs, and (if I may venture to call them) cloven hoofs, are well adapted both for speed and for defence. Its wings are insufficient to raise it from the ground: its camel-shaped neck is covered with hair: its voice is a kind of hollow, mournful lowing; and it grazes on the plain with the Quagga and the Zebra. Ostriches are frequently injurous to farmers in the interior of Southern Africa, by coming in flock into their fields, and destroying the ears of wheat so effectually, that in a large tract of land they sometimes leave nothing but the mere straw behind. The body of the bird is not higher than the corn; and when it devours the ears, it bends down its long neck, so that at a little distance it cannot be seen; but on the least noise it rears its head, and generally contrives to escape before the farmer gets within gun-shot of it. When the Ostrich runs, it has a proud and haughty appearance; and, even when in extreme distress, never appears in great haste, especially if the wind be with it. Its wings are frequently of material use in aiding its escape; for, when the wind blows in the direction that it is pursuing, it always flaps them. In this case the swiftest horse cannot overtake it: but if the weather be hot and there be no wind, the difficulty of out-running it is not so great. Ostriches are polygamous birds; one male being seen with two or three, and sometimes with five females. It has been commonly believed, that the female Ostrich, after depositing her eggs in the sand, and there covering them up, trusts them to be hatched by the heat of the climate, and leaves the young-ones to provide for themselves. Even the author of the book of Job alludes to this particular notion respecting the Ostrich, "which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust; and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her young-ones, as though they were not hers: her labor is in vain, without fear, because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding." Recent travellers have, however, assured us that no bird has a stronger affection for her offspring than this, and that none watches her eggs with greater assiduity. But though she sometimes leaves them by day, she always carefully broods over them by night; and Kolben, who saw great numbers of Ostriches at the Cape of Good Hope, affirms, that they sit on their eggs like other birds, and that the males and females take this office by turns, as he has frequent opportunities of observing. Nor is it more true that they forsake their young-ones as soon as they are excluded from the shell. On the contrary, these are not able to walk for several days after they are hatched. During this time the parents are very assiduous in supplying them with grass and water, and will encounter every danger in their defence. The females which are united to one male deposit all their eggs in the same place, to the number of ten or twelve each: these they hatch altogether, the male also taking his turn of sitting on them. Between sixty and seventy eggs have sometimes been found in one nest. The time of incubation is sex weeks. M. Le Vaillant informs us, that, in Africa, he started an Ostrich from its nest, where he found eleven eggs quite warm: he also found four others at a little distance. Those in the nest had young-ones in them; but his attendants eagerly caught up the detached ones, assuring him that they were perfectly good to eat. They informed him, that near the nest there are always placed a certain number of eggs, which the birds do not sit upon, and which are designed for the first nourishment of the future young. "Experience, (said M. Le Vaillant) has convinced me of the truth of this observation; for I never afterwards met with an Ostrich's nest, without finding eggs disposed in this manner." Some time after this, M. Le Vaillant found a female Ostrich on a nest containing thirty-two eggs; and twelve eggs were arranged at a little distance, each in a separate cavity formed for it. He remained near the place some time; and saw three other females come and alternately seat themselves in the nest; each sitting for about a quarter of an hour, and then giving place to another, who, while waiting, sat close by the side of her whom she was to succeed. That Ostriches have a great affection for their offspring, may be inferred from the assertion of Professor Thunberg, that he once rode past the place where a hen Ostrich was sitting on her nest; when the bird sprang up and pursued him, evidently with a view to prevent his noticing her eggs or young. Every time he turned his horse towards her, she pursued him, till he had got to a considerable distance from the place where he had started her. If the eggs of Ostriches be touched by any person in the absence of the parents, the birds not only desist from laying any more in the same place, but trample to pieces with their feet all those that have been left. The natives of Africa, therefore , are very careful in taking part of the eggs away, not to touch any of them with their hands, but always to push them out of the nest with a long stick. In the interior of the eggs there are frequently discovered a number of small oval-shaped pebbles, about the size of a marrow-fat pea; of a pale yellow color, and exceedingly hard. Mr. Barrow states that he saw in one egg nine and in another twelve. These stones are sometimes set, and used for buttons. This gentleman, states that the eggs of the Ostrich are considered a great delicacy. They are prepared as food in various ways: but the best way he says is to bury them in hot ashes; and, through a hole made in the upper end, to stir the contents round till they acquire the consistence of an omelet. Prepared in this manner he often found them an excellent repast, in his long journeys over the wilds of Africa. These eggs are easily preserved for a great length of time, even at sea; and without any of that trouble of constantly turning them, which is necessary with hen's eggs. At the Cape of Good Hope they are usually sold for about twelve cents each. From their large size, one of them is sufficient to serve two or three persons at a meal. Thunberg saw necklaces and ornaments for the waist, that had been made of the shells of the eggs, by grinding bits of them into the form of small rings. The Ostrich is chiefly valuable for its plumage; and the Arabians have reduced the chase of it to a kind of science. They hunt it on horseback, and begin their pursuit by a gentle gallop; for, should they at the outset use the least rashness, the matchless speed of the game would immediately carry it out of their sight, and in a very short time beyond their reach. But when they proceed gradually, it makes no particular effort to escape. It does not go in a direct line, but runs first to one side and then to the other; this its pursuers take advantage of, and, by rushing directly onward, save much ground. In a few days, at most, the strength of the animal is exhausted; and it then either turns on the hunters and fights with the fury of despair, or hides its head, and tamely receives its fate. Some persons breed Ostriches in flocks: for they may be tamed with very little trouble; and in their domestic state few animals may be rendered more useful. Besides the valuable feathers which they cast; the eggs which they lay; their skins, which are used by the Arabians as a substitute for leather; and their flesh, which many esteem as excellent food, they are sometimes made to serve the purpose of Horses. In a tame state, it is pleasant to observe with what dexterity they play and frisk about. In the heat of the day, particularly, they will strut along the sunny side of a house with great majesty, perpetually fanning themselves with their expanded wings, and seeming at every turn to admire, and be enamored of, their own shadows. During most part of the day, in hot climates, their wings are in a kind of vibrating or quivering motion, as if designed principally to assuage the heat. They are tractable and familiar towards persons who are acquainted with them; but they are often fierce towards strangers, whom they sometimes attempt to push down, by running
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