. Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and discoveries during four years' wanderings in the wilds of southwestern Africa . of their progeny. Finding that wewere quickly gaining upon them, the male at once slackenedhis pace, and diverged somewhat from his course; but, see-ing that we were not to be diverted from our purpose, heagain increased his speed, and, with wings drooping so as al-most to touch, the ground, he hovered round us, now in widecircles, and then decreasing the circumference till he camealmost within pistol-shot, when he abruptly threw himself onthe ground, and struggled desperately to
. Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and discoveries during four years' wanderings in the wilds of southwestern Africa . of their progeny. Finding that wewere quickly gaining upon them, the male at once slackenedhis pace, and diverged somewhat from his course; but, see-ing that we were not to be diverted from our purpose, heagain increased his speed, and, with wings drooping so as al-most to touch, the ground, he hovered round us, now in widecircles, and then decreasing the circumference till he camealmost within pistol-shot, when he abruptly threw himself onthe ground, and struggled desperately to regain his legs, as itappeared, like a bird that has been badly wounded. Havingpreviously fired at him, I really thought he was disabled, andmade quickly toward him. But this was only a ruse on hispart; for, on my nearer approach, he slowly rose and beganto run in an opposite direction to that of the female, who bythis time was considerably ahead with her charge. After about an hours severe chase, we secured nine of thebrood; and, though it consisted of about double that number. COURSING YOUNG OSTRICHES. 249. L 2 250 THE OSTRICH WHERE FOUND SIZE AND WEIGHT. we found it necessary to be contented with what we hadbagged.* On returning to the Bay, however, the next morning in amule-cart, Mr. Galton again encountered the same birds withthe remainder of the family, and, after a short race, cap-tured six more of the chicks. The ostrich (which, from possessing the rudiments of agall-bladder, and the absence of wings fit for flight, seems toform a kind of connecting link between the two great fam-ilies of mammalia and aves) is an inhabitant of a large j)ortionof Africa, but rarely extends farther east than the deserts ofArabia. Throughout the Indian Archipelago, the family ofbirds (of which the ostrich is the leading type) is representedby the cassowary; in Australia by the emeu; in the south-ern extremity of the western hemisphere by the rhea; andeven in Europe, though somewhat departi
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