THE VULTURE. 117 



points of resemblance which would fairly entitle him to be 

 placed in such bad company. This bird is called the Snake- 

 eater, a native of Africa 

 and of some parts of 

 India; and it is here 

 noticed on account of 

 its singular manner of 

 destroying serpents, on 

 which it feeds. An eye- 

 witness thus describes it. 

 He was one day riding, 

 when he observed a 

 Snake-eater, while on 



the Wing, make two Or The Snake-eater. 



three circles at a little distance from the spot on which he then 

 was, and suddenly descend to the ground. On observing the 

 bird, he found it engaged in examining and watching some 

 object near the spot where it stood, which it continued to do for 

 some minutes. After that it moved, with considerable apparent 

 caution, to a little distance from the spot where it had alighted, 

 and then extended one of its wings, which it kept in continual 

 motion. Soon after this the observer saw a large snake raise 

 its head to a considerable distance from the ground, which 

 seemed to be what the bird was expecting, and waiting for ; 

 at the moment the snake reared its head, he instantly struck 

 a sharp blow with the end of his wing, by which the snake 

 was knocked flat on the ground. The bird, however, did not 

 appear confident of having slain his enemy, or gained the 

 victory, but kept his eye fixed on the reptile for a short time, 

 when the snake, reviving again, lifted up its head, and the 

 bird as before repeated his blow; after this second blow he 

 appeared to gain more confidence ; for, almost the moment it 

 was inflicted, he marched boldly up and struck at the snake 

 with his feet ; after which, finding it disabled, though not 

 quite dead, he rose almost perpendicularly to a very great 

 height, when he let it drop, and as it fell with great violence 

 to the ground, he seemed satisfied that there was no more 



