"At first, they started with caution; but presently they spread their
wings and went off at such a speed that they seemed scarcely to touch
the ground."
The voice of the ostrich is deep and hollow, and is said to resemble at
times the roar of the lion. The bird frequently makes a kind of cackling
noise, and when enraged at an enemy, it hisses very loudly.
Ostriches make their nests in the sand. One female will, in a single
season, lay from twenty to thirty eggs, weighing about three pounds
each.
Most of these she places in the nest, standing them on one end; but some
of them are left outside of the nest as food for her young when they are
hatched.
The natives of Africa are very fond of ostrich eggs, using them for
food. In taking the eggs, they exercise great caution; for should the
birds discover them, they would break all the eggs and leave the nest.
Young ostriches are readily tamed. Some families in Africa keep them as
we do chickens. They play with children, sleep in the houses, and when a
family moves, the ostriches follow the camels, frequently carrying the
children on their backs.
Pages:
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278