122 ORNAMENTS OF THE VELD 



This bird was formerly protected under a five pound 

 fine in the Cape Colony, 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 

 wing, and seldom flies either high or far. We, on one 

 occasion, ran a bird down on horseback with a pack of 

 greyhounds, the bird running with the fleetness of an 

 antelope, with outstretched wings, occasionally rising in 

 the air, but its flight was of short duration, the bird 

 invariably descending and continuing its course on foot, 

 using its wings as propellers. This alternate rising and 

 settling kept on till the bird was too tired to rise, and the 

 dogs eventually brought it to bay against a bank, where 

 it pluckily defended itself with wings and beak. Calling 

 the dogs off, we let the bird go on its way unmolested, 

 having experienced the best run with the hounds we had 

 had that season, and the bird's staying powers having had 

 the effect of putting our horses into a foamy lather from 

 head to foot. 



The Secretary usually roosts in a mimosa tree at night, 

 where it also constructs its nest a large shallow saucer 

 of sticks, lined with a few clods of roots, hair and wool, 

 and measuring from three to five feet in diameter. 



The eggs are either plain bluish-white or marked with 

 brownish spots. 



It stalks about the veld singly or in pairs, and feeds 

 on snakes, lizards, small tortoises, insects, and young 

 birds, such as young larks, partridges, &c. The last- 

 named diet has earned for it the enmity of the sports- 

 man, and although the evidence of its feeding on young 

 game birds seems conclusive enough, we are not pre- 

 pared to state to what degree this is developed. 



