604 



Crcatfttry of Natural f^ 



than three hundred species are enumerated, 

 most of which, including all the gigantic 

 species, inhabit tropical climates. South 

 America, in particular, abounds with them. 

 The venomous species compose about a fifth 

 of the whole number ; and among these are 

 some whose bite is fatal in a few hours, and 

 even minutes. [See SNAKES.] 



SERPENT-EATER. (Gypogeramis.~) A 

 South African bird of prey, often called the 

 Secretary-bird, or Secretary Falcon ; agreeing 

 in its general character and some of its habits 

 with the Falconidce, especially those which 

 prey on reptiles, while it differs from the 

 Hawks and Owls in having feet incapable of 

 grasping, and very long legs. Accordingly, 

 it keeps constantly on the ground, in sandy 

 and open places, and wages continual war 

 against reptiles, especially Serpents, which 



it pursues on foot. When this bird attacks 

 a serpent, it covers its breast with one wing 

 (the wings being armed with spurs on the 

 elbow-joints,) to protect itself from the bite, 

 and with the other strikes violent blows, 

 until it has stunned its prey. It then breaks 

 the cranium with its beak, and tears the 

 reptile in pieces, or, if small, swallows it 

 entire. In its wild state the Serpent-eater 

 is shy and difficult of approach ; but it is 

 easily tamed, and is often kept in poultry- 

 yards by the inhabitants of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, for the purpose of destroying lizards, 

 snakes, rats, &c. It soon becomes habituated 

 to the poultry ; but if left too long fasting, 

 it does not scruple to satisfy its hunger with 

 the young chickens. It runs with great ra- 

 pidity. Le Vaillant mentions, that having 

 killed one of these birds, which he had seen 

 to vanquish a serpent, he found in its crop 

 eleven rather large lizards, three serpents of 

 an arm's length, and eleven small tortoises 

 very entire, all of which had received the 

 stroke on the head ; as well as a number of 

 locusts, beetles, and other insects, very little 

 injured. The colour of this bird in its perfect 

 plumage is a bluish gray on the head, neck, 

 breast, back, and wing-coverts ; the throat 

 white; abdomen black, streaked with rufous; 

 thighs black, streaked with brown ; tail 

 feathers black and gray, tipped with white. 

 The skin of the throat and neck are capable 

 of great extension. It builds its nest on high 

 trees, or dense thickets ; and is not at all 

 disposed to associate with its fellows. The 



name of Secretary was given to it by the 

 Dutch settlers at the Cape, from a pendent 

 crest on the back of the head reminding them 

 of the pen stuck behind the ear, according 

 to the custom of writing-clerks. 



SERPULA. The name of a genus of , 

 Anellidans inhabiting cylindrical and tor- j 

 tuous calcareous tubes ; generally parasitic 

 on testaceous Mollusca. The tubes of the 

 Serpulae are found clustering in masses, at- 

 tached to the surface of stones, shells, or other 

 bodies, which have been immersed for any 

 length of time in the sea : they are usually 

 more or less contorted in form, varying in 

 this respect according to the position in which 

 they grow ; but they are always closed at 

 one end, which tapers to a point, the wide 

 end being open to give exit to the head and 

 mouth of the inhabitant. The animal which 

 forms this shell, and resides in it, has its 

 branchial filaments or gill-tufts all assem- 

 bled round the head ; where they form a 

 pair of elegant fan-like appendages. At the 

 base of each series there is a fleshy filament, 

 one of which fits to the mouth of the shell, 

 and serves to close it when the animal is 

 withdrawn into the tube. The body of the 

 animal is composed of a great number of 

 segments ; but these are for the most part 

 unprovided with any appendages. The 

 largest species of Serpulae are found in tro- 

 pical regions, where they usually form their 

 habitations in the midst of corals, lengthen- 

 ing their tubes as the coral is built up around 

 them. Their length is sometimes as much 

 as three feet ; and their expanded gill-tufts 

 are of extremely vivid colours, strongly re- 

 sembling the most brilliant carnations in 

 general aspect. Numerous smaller species 

 are found on our own coasts ; the gills of 

 some of them being remarkable for their 

 brilliant hues. 



SERRICORNES. A family of Coleop- 

 terous insects, distinguished by the toothed 

 or serrated form of the antennae. It includes 

 many of the Beetle tribe, which are distin- 

 guished for the splendour of their colours, 

 the largest and most brilliant of which are 

 found chiefly in tropical climates. [See Bu- 

 PEESTIS and ELATEB.] 



SERTTJLARIA. A genus of compound 

 tubular Polypes ; consisting of those species 

 in which the cells are arranged on two sides 

 of the stem, either opposite or alternate; of 

 these there are many British species, often 

 taken by the ignorant for Sea-weeds. Some 

 of these are most beautiful objects, being 

 finely branded: those indigenous to our coast 

 are described and figured in Johnston's admi- 

 rable ' British Zoophytes.' 



SERVAL. (Fells served.) This fierce and 

 rapacious animal is a native of India and 

 Thibet. It resides principally among trees ; 

 leaping with great agility from one to 

 another, and pursuing birds. It resembles 

 the Panther in its spots, but the Lynx in its 

 size, the robustness of its make, and the short- 

 ness of its tail. 



SESIA. A genus of Lepidopterous insects, 

 comprising those with the antennae always 



