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ral colour is a blueish ash colour, 
rand the ends of the wings, the 
thighs, and vent, are blackish. The 
tail is somewhat ash coloured, ex- 
cept at the end, which, for above an 
inch, is black, and then tipped with 
white : the two middle feathers are 
as long again as any of the rest. 
The legs are long, brown, and 
stouter than those of a heron: the 
claws are shortish, but crooked, 
and of a black colour. From the 
back of the head spring several long 
dark coloured feathers, that hang 
Joose behind like a pendent crest, 
which the bird can ereét or depress 
at pleasure. ‘* The Dutch,” says 
Le Vaillant, ‘ gave it the name of 
Secretary, on account of the bunch 
of guills behind its head; for, in 
Holland, clerks, when interrupted 
in their writing, stick their pen in 
their hair, behind their right ear ; 
and to this the tuft of the bird was 
thought to hear some resemblance*. 
This bird is found in the interior 
parts of Africa, Asia, and the Phil- 
lippine islands. The Hottentots, at 
the Cape of Good Hope, know it by 
a name that signifies the serpent 
eater; and it would almost seem 
that nature had principally destined 
it for the purpose of confining with- 
in due bounds the race of serpents, 
which is very extensive in all the 
countries that it inhabits. 
The mode in which it seizes these 
dangerous creatures is very peculiar. 
When if approaches them, it is al- 
ways careful to carry the point of 
one of its wings forwards, in order 
to parry off their venomous bi tes 5 
sometimes it finds an opportunity of 
“sparning and treading upon its an- 
tagonist, or else of taking it on its 
pinions, and throwing it into the air. 
* New Travels, ii. 244.—Latham, 1. 20. 
T Sparrman. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
When, by this proceeding, it has at 
length wearied out its adversary, 
-and rendered it almost senseless, it 
then kills and swallows it at — 
without dangert. 
M. Le Vaillant tells us, that he 
was witness to an engagement be- 
tween the secretary falcon and a 
serpent. The battle was obstinate, 
and conduéted with equal address on 
both sides. But the serpent at 
length feeling the inferiority of his 
strength, employed, in his attempt 
to fiee and regain his hole, all that 
cunning which is attributed to the 
tribe; while the bird, apparently 
guessing his design, stopped him on 
a sudden, and cut off his retreat, by 
placing herself before him at a single 
leap. On whatever side the reptile 
endeavoured to make his escape, his 
enemy still appeared before him.— 
Then uniting at once both bravery 
and cunning, he ereéted himself 
boldly, to intimidate the bird; 
and hissing dreadfully, displayed 
his menacing throat, inflamed eyes, 
and a head swelled with rage and 
venom. 
Sometimes this threatening ap- 
pearance produced a momentary 
suspension of hostilities; but the 
bird soon returned to the charge, 
and, covering her body with one of 
her wings, as a buckler, struck her 
enemy w ith the bony protuberances 
of the other. I saw him at last 
stagger and fall : the conqueror then 
fell upon him to dispatch him, and 
with one stroke of her beak laid 
open his skull. 
At this instant M. Le Vaillant 
fired at and killed her. In her craw 
he found, on disseétion, eleven 
pretty large lizards, three serpents, 
as long as his arm, eleven small tor- 
toises, 
