310 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



mouth, exactly resembling that produced by thrusting a red 

 hot poker into water; and frequently a snuffing like a dog 

 clearing his nostrils, as I suppose they were theirs. On 

 observing that they did not heed me, I stole so close that 

 my feet were within one yard of the horse's legs, and I 

 again sat down. They all slid aloof a few feet; but seeing 

 me quiet, they soon returned as before. As they were often 

 disturbed by the dogs, I ordered the latter home: my voice 

 gave no alarm to the vultures. As soon as the dogs departed, 

 the vultures crowded in such numbers, that I counted at one 

 time thirty-seven on and around the carcase, with several 

 within; so that scarcely an inch of it was visible. Sometimes 

 one would come out with a large piece of the entrails, which 

 in a moment was surrounded by several others, who tore it 

 in fragments, and it soon disappeared,. They kept up the 

 hissing occasionally. Some of them having their whole legs 

 and heads covered with blood, presented a most savage 

 aspect. Sometimes I observed them stretching their neck 

 along the ground, as if to press the food downwards." 

 The Secretary The Secretary Bird, so called from the possession 

 Bird. o f feathers thought to resemble pens behind the 

 ear, feeds on snakes and other reptiles. Le Vaillant, who 

 in dissecting one of these birds, found in his crop eleven 

 large lizards, three serpents each a yard in length, eleven 

 small tortoises and a great quantity of locusts and other 

 insects, once witnessed a contest thus referred in the " Percy 

 Anecdotes" : 



" When the secretary approaches a serpent, it always carries 

 the point of one of its wings forward, in order to parry off 

 its venomous bites; sometimes it finds an opportunity of 

 spurning and treading upon its antagonist ; or else, of taking 

 him upon its pinions, and throwing him into the air. When 

 by this system it has, at length, wearied out its adversary, 

 and rendered him almost senseless, it kills and swallows him 

 at leisure. On the occasion which Vaillant mentions, the 



