134 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



and the herons are the eradicators of serpents of 

 the plains. After an overflow of the Nile, the banks 

 are covered with innumerable reptiles and frogs, 

 and from the shores of Greece and the Red Sea 

 come droves of cranes, pelicans, and aboumas to 

 eat up the carcasses which, if left to decay, would 

 scatter disease germs far and wide. 



The secretary-bird of the Cape of Good Hope 

 scours the land for serpents to devour. This strange 

 and singular bird has the legs of a crane and the 

 head of an eagle, and he is most abundant in south- 

 ern Africa. He is a very desirable inhabitant, and 

 to him the natives are indebted for the destruction 

 of innumerable insects and serpents. If the num- 

 bers of these were not checked by the secretary- 

 bird, they would become a calamity. His names are 

 many — archer, messenger, hunter, serpent-eater. 



Secretaries, like most of the large birds of prey, 

 build their nests among the top branches of the 

 tallest trees. Their food, however, they seek both 

 on dry land and in the marshes. On land they find 

 serpents and lizards, while in the marshes they hunt 

 insects and large tortoises. One of their most in- 

 teresting habits is the peculiar method of kiUing 

 their prey before eating it. If the secretary meets 

 with a tortoise, big or little, or a serpent, he crushes 

 it with a blow of his foot which never fails in its 



