Mary‑Shears, age 13, of Seattle,, Wash., for her question:

What is a rhea?

The rhea is the ostrich of the New World. Like his African cousin, he enjoys wide open spaces and sunny skies. His home is the wide pampas and upland savannahs of southern South America. The big bird uses his wings to help him run but he cannot fly. Like most flightless birds, he has a wealth of soft silky plumage.

Papa Rhea is a most remarkable bird. He has a harem of several wives and the family roams the plains together. At nesting time all the ladies lay their eggs in a single nest. There may be from 20 to 60 large yellow or green eggs in a single hollow in the ground.

And who do you suppose takes charge of the precious clutch? Papa Rhea, of course. He and he alone warms and cuddles those eggs for six long weeks. And the result is worth the trouble. For baby rheas are pretty darlings covered with soft feathers right down to their toes. All rheas have three toes on each foot, whereas the ostrich cousins have only two.