14. SEEPENTAEICS. 45 



Bange. The whole of Southern Africa, from Benguela on the west 

 to the Zambesi on the east coast ; N.E. Africa, from below Khartoom 

 southwards to the Fpper White Nile, and through the whole of 

 Abyssinia ; W. Africa, Senegambia. 



1. Serpentarius secretarius, 



Sagittarius, Vosm. Besckr. Afrik. Roofv. p. 1 (1769). 

 Le Secretaire, Smin. Voy. N. Guin. pi. 50 (1776). 

 Le Message du Cap de IBonne-Esperance, Buff. PI. Enl. viii. pi. 721 

 (1783). ^ ' JJ V 



Falco serpentarius, Miller, Various Suhj. N. H. pi. 18 a, b (1785) ; 



Gm. S. N. i. p. 250 (1788). 

 Otis secretarius, Sco2}. Del. Faun, et Flor. Insuhr. ii. p. 93 (1786). 

 Yultur serpentarius, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 8 (1790). 

 Vultiir secretarius, Shaiv, Vim. Phys. pi. 28 (1796). 

 Le Mangeur de Serpens, Lemill. Ois. d'Afr. i. pi. 25 (1799) ; Sund. 



Crit. om Levaill. p. 26 (1857). 

 Secretarius reptilivorus, Datul. Traite, ii. p. 29, pi. xi. (1806). 

 Serpentarius africanus, S/unv, Gen. Zuol. vii. p. 46, pi. 14 (1809). 

 Gypogeranus sei-pentarius, Illiyer, Prodr. p. 234 (1811) ; B^i. C'onsp. 



i. p. 12 (1850) ; Hard. Orn. IV. Afr. p. 17 (1857) ; Heml. Orn. 



A';0.-4/>-.i. p. 78(1869). 

 Ophiotheres cristatus, Vieill. N. Diet. xxx. p. 408 (1819) ; id. et Oud. 



Gal. Ois. ii. p. 151, pi. 260 (1834). 

 Gypogeranus reptihvorus, Banz. Elem. Zool. iii. p. 50 (1823). 

 Gypogeranus africanus, Sieph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 4 (1826) ; Dubois, 



Orti. Gal. pi. 55 (1839). 

 Serpentarius cristatus, Less. Traite, p. 16, pi. 3. fig. 2 (1831). 

 Gypogeranus capensis, Ogilby, P. Z. S. 1835, p. 104. 

 Gypogeranus pliilippensis, Ogilby, P. Z. S. 1835, p. 105. 

 Gypogeranus gambiensis, id. id supra. 

 Serpentarius reptilivorus, Gm;/, Ltrt Gen. B. p. 6 (1840) ; Verr. 



P. Z. S. 1856, p. 348 ; Gttrtiey, Cat. Rapt. B. None. Alvs. p. 8 



(1864) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 33 (1867) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 38 



(.1869). 

 Serpentarius secretarius, Gray, Cat. Acciptr. Brit. Mus. p. 77 (1848). 

 Sagittarius secretarius, Strickl. Orn. Sy7i.. p. 144 (1855) ; Gvrney in 



Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 34 (1872). 

 Serpentarius orientalis, Verr. P. Z. 8. 1856, p. 352. 

 Astur secretarius, ScJd. Mus. P.-B. Astures. p. 28 (1862). 

 Sagittarius serpentarius, Finsch u. Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 93 (1870). 



Adult. General colour delicate ashy grey, the feathers of the throat 

 and sides of face with narrow central white shaft-streaks ; an elegant 

 tuft of long and slightly spatulate plumes springing from occiput 

 and nape, entirely black, or grey with a black tip ; quills entirely 

 black, as also the primary coverts ; lower back and rump black, the 

 feathers of the latter slightly barred with white ; upper tail-coverts 

 white ; two centre tail-feathers elongated, clear ashy grey tipped 

 with white, before which a black band, the remainder duller ashy 

 grey, inclining more or less to whitish on inner web, tipped with 

 white, and crossed with two bands of black, the subterminal one 

 much the broadest ; breast and under wing- coverts white, slightly 



