TheeggispossessedofverygreatvitalpowerOnekeptinaroomduringmorethanthreemonths，inatemperatureabout60Deg。，whenbrokenwasfoundtohaveapartially-developedlivechickinit。
TheBushmencarefullyavoidtouchingtheeggs，orleavingmarksofhumanfeetnearthem，whentheyfindanestTheygoupthewindtothespot，andwithalongstickremovesomeofthemoccasionally，and，bypreventinganysuspicion，keepthehenlayingonformonths，aswedowithfowlsTheeggshaveastrong，disagreeableflavor，whichonlythekeenappetiteoftheDesertcanreconcileoneto。
TheHottentotsusetheirtrowserstocarryhomethetwentyortwenty-fiveeggsusuallyfoundinanest；andithashappenedthatanEnglishman，intendingtoimitatethisknowingdodge，comestothewagonswithblisteredlegs，and，aftergreattoil，findsalltheeggsuneatable，fromhavingbeensometimesatuponOurcountrymeninvariablydobestwhentheycontinuetothink，speak，andactintheirownpropercharacter。
Thefoodoftheostrichconsistsofpodsandseedsofdifferentkindsofleguminousplants，withleavesofvariousplants；
and，astheseareoftenhardanddry，hepicksupagreatquantityofpebbles，manyofwhichareaslargeasmarblesHepicksupalsosomesmallbulbs，andoccasionallyawildmelontoaffordmoisture，foronewasfoundwithamelonwhichhadchokedhimbystickinginhisthroatItrequirestheutmostaddressoftheBushmen，crawlingformilesontheirstomachs，tostalkthemsuccessfully；yetthequantityoffeatherscollectedannuallyshowsthatthenumbersslainmustbeconsiderable，aseachbirdhasonlyafewinthewingsandtailThemalebirdisofajetblackglossycolor，withthesingleexceptionofthewhitefeathers，whichareobjectsoftrade。