. Popular official guide to the New York zoological park . Zoos. NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 163. NORTH AFRICAN OSTRICH: MALE. their plumes in enhancing the attractiveness of woman. And surely, no plume-bearing bird ever enlisted in a better cause, or on a more satisfactory basis; for to-day the plume crop is being grown and plucked and marketed with almost as much certainty as the annual crop of wool. In the United States, the most important plume-producing ostrich farms are situated in southern California and Arizona, where the industry is quite successful. So valuable are the adult birds that
. Popular official guide to the New York zoological park . Zoos. NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 163. NORTH AFRICAN OSTRICH: MALE. their plumes in enhancing the attractiveness of woman. And surely, no plume-bearing bird ever enlisted in a better cause, or on a more satisfactory basis; for to-day the plume crop is being grown and plucked and marketed with almost as much certainty as the annual crop of wool. In the United States, the most important plume-producing ostrich farms are situated in southern California and Arizona, where the industry is quite successful. So valuable are the adult birds that it is possible to purchase specimens im- ported from Africa for less money than would be necessary to procure them in the United States. A full-grown male African Ostrich stands 8 feet in height, and weighs about 300 pounds. Its value on arrival in New York, before acclimatization and moulting into perfect plu- mage, is from $200 to $250. The female lays about 90 eggs in a year, each of which is equal to about 20 hen's eggs. The time of incubation is about 40 days. In captivity only about 60 per cent of the eggs hatch, and of those not more than one-half live to attain full maturity. The plumage of immature birds and adult females is gray, but that of the adult male is black on the body, and white on the wings and tail. The South African Ostrich, (Struthio australis), differs from the species found in the north. The color of the naked skin of its neck and thighs, and the front scales on. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original New York Zoological Park; Hornaday, William Temple, 1854-1937; New York Zoological Society. New York : New York zoological Society
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Keywords: ., bookauthornewyorkz, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1915
