SECRETARY BIRD 203 



recently by L. E. Taylor as far south as Irene, in the Pretoria 

 district. 



The Cinnamon-backed Pipit (A. pyrrhonotus), the Lesser 

 Tawny Pipit (A. rufulus), the Vaal River Pipit (A. vaalensis), 

 are all brown birds of dull coloration, and not easy for the 

 tyro to distinguish from one another. They are called 

 " Koesters " (meaning Duckers) by the Boers, from their 

 habits of ducking down or cowering in the grass. They 

 are denizens of the open veld, making a nest somewhat 

 similar to that of the Longclaws in much the same locality ; 

 and usually lay three eggs of a sandy tint mottled with 

 reddish and purplish brown. 



Our friend, Mr. L. E. Taylor, of Irene, had the honour of 

 adding a Central African species to the South African list, 

 viz. the Golden Pipit (Tmetothylacus tenellus of Cabanis). 

 That this truly Tropical bird, in its gaudy yellow and black 

 attire, should have wandered as far south as the South 

 Central Transvaal, is somewhat strange. The Journal fur 

 Omiihologie (organ of the German Ornithological Society) 

 for January, 1907, contains a coloured plate of the female 

 (till then undescribed) and wings of both sexes. 



SECRETARY BIRD 



A prominent though not very common figure on the veld 

 is the Secretary-Bird (Serpentarius secretarius). It is a 

 w r ell-known bird in its ashy-grey and black plumage ; the 

 black quill-like feathers situated at the back of the head and 

 erectable at will give the bird its name of " Secretary." 



This bird was formerly protected under a five-pound fine 

 in the Cape Province, but this has now been removed, we 

 believe, owing probably to a closer knowledge of the economy 

 of the Secretary-Bird. 



It requires a considerable run before it can rise on the 



