Ostriches are in many ways truly amazing birds. To begin with, they are among the very few birds that cannot fly. Even their anatomy is unusual, for the ostrich has no wishbone. As for their size, a large male may weigh as much as three hundred pounds and stand eight feet high. Their plumes have been prized since ancient days, when African and Arabian warriors wore them as ornaments, and as recently as the last century, when they became fashionable for ladies' hats. The shells of their large eggs were valued as cups and other containers as long ago as 3000 B.C. Tame ostriches have been ridden in races and have even been harnessed to light carts and used as beasts of burden.

Striking facts such as these highlight the basic scientific information about ostriches and their relatives which Dr. Zim presents with his accustomed skill in this compact and lavishly illustrated book.

From the dust jacket