THE SECKETARY BIRD. 



89 



The veiy remarkable Secketaey Bird derives its name from the curious feathery plumes 

 whicli project from each side of its head, and hear a fanciful resemblance to pens carried 

 behind the ear by human secretaries. In allusion to the same peculiarity, the Arabs 

 ttrm the bird Selazza Izn, or Thirty-ears. 



The Secretary Bird has long been a standing perplexity to systematic zoologists, 

 having been placed by some writers among the wading birds on account of its long leg.s, 

 while others consider its proper place to be among the hawks and other birds of prey. It is 

 an inhabitant of Southern Africa, 

 and is most invaluable in destroy- 

 ing the serpent race, on which 

 creatures it almost exclusively 

 feeds. Undaunted by the deadly 

 teeth of the coljra, the Secretary 

 Bird comes boldly to the attack, 

 and in spite of all the efforts of 

 tlie infuriated and desperate rep- 

 tile, is sure to come off victorious. 

 Many other creatures fall victims 

 to the ravenous appetite of the 

 Secretary, and in tlie stomach of 

 one of these birds which was found 

 by Le Vaillant, were discovered 

 eleven rather large lizards, eleven 

 small tortoises, a great number 

 of insects nearly entire, and three 

 snakes as thick as a man's arm. 

 The following description of the 

 haliits and mode of hunting which 

 is employed by this bird has been 

 kindly forwarded to me by Captain 

 Drayson, to whom I have already 

 been indebted for much curious 

 information respecting the cj^uad- 

 rupeds of Southern Africa. 



"The Secretary Bird is notvery 

 common in any part of South 

 Africa, stUl one or two are fre- 

 quently seen during a day's ride 

 on the plains. Sometimes two or 

 three of these birds may he seen 

 stalking over the ground, witli a 

 bold, military, and jaunty stride, 

 which is quite in character with 

 the nature of the reptile-eating 

 bird, but more frequently a soli- 

 tary individual pursues his inves- 

 tigations of newly-burnt grass, or 

 likely and deserted ant-heaps. 



Frogs and toads appear the more favoured repast of the Secretary Biixl, but a snake of 

 even three or four feet in length is easily disposed of. 



On one or two occasions I have seen a Secretary Bird busily engaged with a snake, 

 and it appeared that the bird by means of activity escaped from the deadly fangs of its 

 prey. A Secretary Bird might be seen sailing slowly along at about a hundred yards 

 from the ground ; suddenly he would stop and descend, attracted evidently by some prey, 

 towards which he woixld stalk. The bird would then appear very busy, now striking with 

 his wings and pecking, as though engaged in thrust and parry ; then, when his adversary 



CHANTING FALCON.— Mdiiirax musims. 



