39G TROPICAL BIRDS OF PREY 



pause he is obliged to remain perfectly quiet, as then the bird 

 hears the least noise and immediately flies away. 



The prowess of the Secretary-eagle (Serpentarius cristatus) 

 attacking the most venomous serpents has already been men- 

 tioned in the chapter on these noxious reptiles. The long legs 

 of this useful bird, which owes its name of secretary to the crest 

 on the back of its head, reminding one of the pen stuck behind 

 the ear, according to the custom of writing-clerks, might give one 

 reason to reckon it, at first sight, among the cranes or storks, but 

 its curved beak and internal organisation prove it to belong 

 to the falcon tribe. Its feet being incapable of grasping, it 

 keeps constantly on the ground in sandy and open places, 

 and runs with such speed as to be able to overtake the most 

 agile reptiles. The destruction it causes in their ranks must 

 be great indeed, for Le Vaillant mentions that having killed 

 one of these birds he found in its crop eleven rather large 

 lizards, three serpents of an arm's length, and eleven small 

 tortoises, besides a number of locusts, beetles, and other insects, 

 swallowed most likely by way of dessert. What enviable 

 powers of digestion ! 



