THE ADJUTANT. 303 



of these conflicts, 'and conducted with equal address on both 

 sides. The serpent, feeling the inferiority of his strength, 

 in his attempt to flee, and regain his hole, employed that 

 cunning which is ascribed to him, while the bird, guessing 

 his design, suddenly stopped him, and cut off his retreat by 

 placing herself before him at a single leap. On whatever side 

 the reptile endeavoured to make its escape, his enemy was 

 still found before him. Then, uniting at once bravery and 

 cunning, he erected himself boldly to intimidate the bird, and 

 hissing dreadfully, displayed his menacing throat, inflamed 

 eyes, and a head swelled with rage and venom. Sometimes 

 this threatening appearance produced a momentary suspension 

 of hostilities, but the bird soon returned to the charge, and 

 covering her body with one of her wings as a buckler, struck 

 her enemy with the horny protuberances upon the other, which, 

 like little clubs, served the more effectually to knock him 

 down as he raised himself to the blow ; at last he staggered 

 and fell, the conqueror then despatched him, and with one 

 stroke of her bill laid open his skull.' 



The secretary-eagle has now been successfully acclimatised 

 in the West Indies, where he renders himself useful by the 

 destruction of the venomous snakes with which the plantations 

 are infested. 



Grravely, 'with measured step and slow,' like a Grerman 

 philosopher cogitating over the nature of the absolute, but, as 

 we shall presently see, much more 

 profitably engaged, the adjutant wan- 

 ders among the reeds on the banks of 

 the muddy Ganges. The aspect of 

 this colossal bird, measuring six feet 

 in height and nearly fifteen from tip 

 to tip of the wings, is far from being 

 comely, as his enormous bill, his 

 naked liead and neck, except a few 

 straggling curled hairs, his large craw 

 hanging down the forepart of the neck 

 like a pouch, and his long naked legs, adjutant. 



are certainly no features of beauty. Suddenly he stops, dips 

 his bill among the aquatic plants, and immediately raises it 

 again triumpliantly into the air, for a long snake, despairingly 



