142 FALCONIFORMES CHAP. 
brought alive to England.' The appellation is evidently, how- 
ever, derived from the nuchal tuft, which bears a fancied resem- 
blance to the pen of a clerk stuck above his ear. Standing some 
four feet high on very long legs, this bird gives the impression of a 
Heron or Crane, and is a striking object on its native plains. The 
short strong beak is greatly arched, and is not toothed, the neck 
is elongated, the body comparatively small, and the metatarsus 
boldly scutellated all round, the short straight toes with their 
blunt claws being joined anteriorly by small membranes. The 
ample wings have eleven pointed primaries and seventeen second- 
aries; the graduated tail of twelve rectrices has the two obtuse 
median feathers drooping and much prolonged. Down is evenly 
distributed over the adults, and an aftershaft is present. The 
general colour is bluish-grey, with black wing-quills, lower back 
and vent; the loose pendent crest on the occiput and nape con- 
tains ten plumes in pairs, the longer being black and the shorter 
grey with black ends; the tail is grey, subterminally barred with 
black and tipped with white, which sometimes shews on the short 
close flank-feathers. The long cere, naked sides of the face, and 
feet are yellow, the irides hazel. The sexes are similar. 
In South Africa these useful birds—favoured by a protecting 
law—are often brought up tame about the homesteads, where 
they kill reptiles and keep off feathered intruders, though they 
occasionally tax the poultry-yard themselves; the food consists 
of small mammals, birds, lizards, and tortoises, but above all of 
snakes and insects. When the Secretary attacks a reptile, it 
advances on foot and delivers a forward kick with its powerful 
leg, striking simultaneously with the knobbed wings, which shield 
its body ; then it retreats with a bound, as the hissing snake makes 
a vicious lunge ; but soon, watching its opportunity, breaks through 
its opponent’s guard and stands triumphant with crest erect, before 
swallowing the disabled foe.” If, however, the snake touches the 
bird’s flesh, the result is reversed; and so well, according to Mr. 
Atmore,’ does the latter know this, that it plucks out instantly any 
feather that the fangs have reached. Possibly reptiles are occa- 
sionally killed by being carried aloft and dropped. Usually seen 
stalking easily along, this graceful species can almost out-pace a 
1 Cf. A. Newton, Dict. Birds, 1894, pp. 822, 823 
2 This is abbreviated from the account by J. Verreaux, P.Z.S. 1856, pp. 348-352. 
® Layard, ed. Sharpe, Birds of South Africa, 1875-1884, p. 9. 
