Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3

by Alfred Edmund Brehm

THE TRUE NANDU, OR AMERICAN OSTRICH (Rhea Americana).

In addition to the all-reaching destructiveness of mankind, the great enemy to the Nandus is fire. About the time when these birds are beginning to breed, the herdsmen are in the habit of taking advantage of a high wind, for the purpose of burning the long dry grass upon the vast steppes or prairies, in order to clear them from the last year's straw. Before such a fire as is thus kindled all living beings can only take refuge in the low-lying and wettest portions of the country, and innumerable animals suffer a cruel death. On these occasions the inhabitants of the district collect as a great prize all the Nandus' eggs upon which they can lay their hands. One of these eggs indeed is worth about fifteen Hens' eggs, and is with the natives a very favourite dish. To prepare them, the narrow end is broken open, the white, which is said to have a disagreeable taste, is thrown away, and then having added a little butter, salt, and pepper, the yolk is cooked by being stirred over the fire, using the egg-shell as a saucepan. To boil one of these eggs hard in European fashion, requires forty minutes. They are excellent for all culinary purposes, but unfortunately will not keep. The flesh of the Nandu much resembles horse-flesh in its colour, nevertheless the old birds are a favourite dish among the Indians, while the young are not distasteful even to European palates; they likewise afford a rich supply of oily, semi-fluid fat, which while fresh is much esteemed, and used like butter. Unfortunately, however, it soon becomes rancid, and is then only useful for softening leather; and even for this purpose, in a country so abounding in hides, it is not of much value. Out of the skin covering the neck the Gauchos are in the habit of manufacturing small bags, suitable for many domestic articles, while from the flexible shafts of the feathers, boys construct springes with which they catch water-fowl. The full-grown feathers of the mature bird are likewise used as ornaments to the harness of horses, or are woven into very beautiful rugs, the patterns of which are extremely elegant and varied. Feathers of inferior value are made into bunches for dusting furniture, while the best and largest afford plumes scarcely inferior to those of the Ostrich.

Böcking estimates the duration of the life of the Nandu at fourteen or fifteen years, and believes that many of them die from sheer old age, inasmuch as he has observed individuals (especially in the winter season) at the point of death, but exhibiting no external injury or internal lesion to account for their condition.

With the exception of mankind, these gigantic and swift-footed birds indeed might seem to enjoy an immunity from the attacks of any ordinary assailants. Sometimes the adult may be surprised by a prowling jaguar, or an Eagle may swoop upon the young, and by chance carry off a victim, but such accidents would seem to be of rare occurrence. Perhaps among the most inveterate of their foes are the Spurred Lapwings (Hoplopterus spinosus), whose animosity against these giants of the prairie is positively ludicrous. No sooner does a Nandu approach a pair of these little birds than they set up an intolerable screeching, like Crows on the appearance of a Hawk; they strike at him with their wings, and by the pertinacity of their attacks generally make him glad to get away from such contemptible assailants, who valorously follow him for a little distance, and return with every demonstration of triumph.

The chase of the Rhea is a very favourite exercise. The Indians and the Gauchos hunt them on horseback, kill them with the bolas, or course them with dogs bred for the purpose; indulging in this sport not so much for the sake of the booty as for the purpose of testing the swiftness and endurance of their noble horses, and their own skill in throwing the bolas or the lasso. When a hunting party is announced, numerous well-mounted horsemen assemble, and taking advantage of the wind, approach the birds as closely as they can, at a slow pace, until the moment when the Nandus begin to run, which is the signal for man and horse to exert themselves to the uttermost, and at length an individual is singled out and separated from the flock as the special object of attack. In spite of the swiftness of the poor bird, the Gauchos are soon close at his heels, and the horseman who happens to gain the left side throws his bolas at the devoted victim, which an instant afterwards falls to the ground a mere shapeless mass of feathers, and rolls over killed by the momentum of its own career.

Should the first horseman miss his aim another immediately takes his place, and launches from his hand the terrible weapon. This is repeated by successive riders, until the game is either brought down, or succeeds in reaching some swamp, where the horses are unable to follow.

The name of Nandu is an imitation of the cry of the male during the breeding season. After pairing-time is over the tones are very different, and not easily described. In the neighbourhood of the peaceful settlers who leave them undisturbed, the Nandus become so tame and trustful, that they may be seen associating with tethered horses and milch-cows; indeed, they may be looked upon as half domesticated, as they carelessly graze among the cattle, and scarcely stir out of the way either of dogs or man. Nevertheless, no sooner do they see the Gaucho, who hunts them, than away they go, using every effort to escape, and displaying considerable cunning in avoiding the observation of their enemy. The appearance of a party of Indians puts them into an indescribable state of alarm; they will fly before them for hours together, and even horses and herds of cattle seem to share their dismay and accompany their flight; but if the hunter, creeping upon his hands against the wind, manages to get near a flock of Nandus and, lying flat down, waves a pocket-handkerchief, the curiosity of the birds is at once excited and gradually gets the better of their fear, until the whole flock with their male leader at their head, with outstretched neck approaches within gunshot of their wily enemy. To kill the Nandu with a gun, however, requires a good marksman, as these birds are hard to kill, and will often run a long way after receiving a ball. Should a flock of them be beguiled in the way we have just described and one of them fall and begin to struggle, the rest immediately come to its assistance with most ridiculous gestures, as if they had St. Vitus' dance in their legs and wings, and thus the sportsman is enabled to have a second shot. The report of the gun, moreover, does not frighten them, for if it misses they will come still nearer, as if to satisfy themselves as to what may be the meaning of so much noise. A wounded Nandu follows his companions as far as he can, and when exhausted, steps on one side and is left to his fate. In South America these birds are everywhere to be seen in a state of semi-domestication, having been caught when young, and are allowed to run about without restraint; they seem so much attached to the locality where they have been reared, that towards evening they always come home of their own accord. The Nandu is very generally met with in European zoological gardens, where it requires less attention than any others of the Ostrich race, and provided it has enough to eat, is content with the simplest diet. Moreover, it seems quite able to bear the vicissitudes of climate, and might at least become an ornament to our parks, even were it useless for any other purpose.