AVES-VULTURE. 



429 



THE SECRETARY VULTURE. 1 



I 



< 



This curious bird resembles the common falcon in its head, bill, and claws ; 

 but its legs are so long that, when it stands upright, it is not much unlike 

 the crane. After much hesitation, modern naturalists have arranged it in 

 the vulture order. When standing erect, it measures about three feet from 

 the top of the head to the ground. It is a native of the interior of Africa, 

 Asia, and the Philippine Islands. The general color of the plumage is a 

 bluish ash; the tips of the wings, the thighs, and the vent inclining to black. 

 On the back of the head are several long dark colored feathers, hanging 

 down behind, and capable of being erected at pleasure. This crest induced 

 the Dutch colonists at the Cape to give it the name of the secretary ; the 

 Hottentots, however, style it the serpent eater, from the avidity with which 

 it catches and devours those noxious reptiles. The manner in which it 

 seizes them, displays great intelligence. On approaching them, it carries 

 forward the point of one of its wings, in order to parry their venomous bites, 

 and waits till it finds an opportunity of spurning or treading on its adversary, 

 or taking him on his pinions, and throwing him into the air. When he has 

 at last thus wearied him out, he kills and devours him at his leisure. 



,;. 



1 Gypog-eranus serpentarius, Temm. This is the only individual of the genus. Its 

 characteristics are — bill shorter than the head, thick, strong, hooked, bent from its origin, 

 furnished with a cere at its base, a little arched, compressed at the point ; nostrils a little 

 separated at the base, lateral, pierced in the cere, diagonal, oblong, open; legs very long, 

 slender; tibia feathered; tarsus long, slenderer at its base than at its upper part ; toes 

 shortj ;varty below, the anterior united at the base ; thumb articulated on the tarsus ; 

 wings long the first five wing feathers longest and almost equal ; wings armed with a 

 blun' spur. 



