Wonders of the tropics; or, Explorations and adventures of Henry M Stanley and other world-renowned travelers, including Livingstone, Baker, Cameron, Speke, Emin Pasha, Du Chaillu, Andersson, etc., etc .. . o see him. Tlie Plumed Ostrich. Respecting the degree of intelligence displayed by the wild ostrich,the opinions of travellers are at variance, some ascribing to it the mostcomplete stupidity, and others giving it credit for unusual vivacity andcunning. Livingstone evidently inclines to the former opinion. Hesays, It is generally seen feeding on some quiet spot wdiere no one canapproach him
Wonders of the tropics; or, Explorations and adventures of Henry M Stanley and other world-renowned travelers, including Livingstone, Baker, Cameron, Speke, Emin Pasha, Du Chaillu, Andersson, etc., etc .. . o see him. Tlie Plumed Ostrich. Respecting the degree of intelligence displayed by the wild ostrich,the opinions of travellers are at variance, some ascribing to it the mostcomplete stupidity, and others giving it credit for unusual vivacity andcunning. Livingstone evidently inclines to the former opinion. Hesays, It is generally seen feeding on some quiet spot wdiere no one canapproach him without being detected by his wary eye. As the wagonmoves along far to the windward, he thinks it is intending to circumventhini, so he rushes up a mile or so from the leeward, and so near to thefront oxen that one sometimes gets a shot at the silly bird. When hebegins to run, all the game in sight follow his example. I have seenseen this folly taken advantage of when he was quietly feeding in a val-ley open at both ends. A number of men would commence running asif to cut off his retreat from the end through which the wind came, andalthough he had the whole country, hundreds of miles, before him by. (645) 646 WONDERS OF THE TROPICS. going to the other end, on he madly rushed to get past the men, and sowas speared. He never swerves from the course he once adopts, butonly increases his speed. In taking the eggs, the natives, if they wish to continue drawing onthe nest, are obliged to use considerable caution. It is common enough,even when the hatching period is close at hand, for the whole of theproprietors of a nest to wander away from it in search of food, a circum-stance that has doubtless given ground for the erroneous suppositionthat the bird in question leaves her eggs in the sand, trusting to the sunfor their vivification. When the native finds a nest of eggs so aband-oned, he procures a long stick and rakes them out all but one or two; ifthis is managed cleverly, and the
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