44 



THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



it, on the veldt or in the kloofs, in fact, everywhere 

 except in his boots ; there, I can confidently assert, 

 he never did see snakes, for if he did not display the 

 insignia of the blue-ribbon, he was a great believer 

 in its demonstrative colour. Thus no amount of per- 

 suasion would induce him to accompany me into the 

 low-lying ground, so again I had to shoot alone. 



But a word on this strictly representative bird 

 of the fauna of this locality I trust will not be out 

 of place. Although the secretary bird cannot by 

 any stretch of imagination be classed among the 

 game of South Africa, from its frequent occurrence 

 in the country I cannot pass it by without calling 

 the reader's attention to it. 



The name secretary has been bestowed upon it 

 from the comparatively large feathers which project 

 semi-erect from the apex of its head, and thus 

 brought to the ideas of the original bestower of the 

 title a similarity between its head and a clerk or 

 secretary with quill pens stuck behind his ears. 



It is not numerous in Great Namaqua Land or 

 Damara Land, but in Bechuanaland, Griqua Land, 

 Orange Free State, South African Republic and 

 countries beyond, it becomes so abundant that it is 



