CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 1. RAPTORES. 



6? 



THE SKCRETARY VCLTURE. 



two very dissimilar birds, the eagle and the crane. The color is bluish-gray, with a reddish- 

 brown tinge on the wings. It is found in Southern Africa, and builds on high trees, and lives 

 in pairs, never collecting in flocks. It runs with considerable swiftness, and attacks even large 

 serpents with great courage and dexterity. The following interesting account is furnished by 

 Sparman : 



" In descending from a mountain into a very deep bog, I perceived, nearly perpendicularly be- 

 low me, a bird which raised and lowered itself very rapidly, with very extraordinary motions. 

 Although I well knew the secretary, and had killed many of these birds at Natal, it was impos- 

 sible for me to recognize it in the vertical situation in which I found myself, and I only suspected 

 that it was one from its bearing. Having found means, by favor of some rocks, to approach suf- 

 ficiently near, noiselessly and without being discovered, I found that this bird ^vas a secretary 

 combating a serpent. The fight was very sharp on both sides, and the skill equal on the part of 

 each of the combatants. But the serpent, which perceived the inequality of its strength, em- 

 ployed that adroit cunning which is attributed to it, in order to save itself by flight and regain 

 its hole ; while the bird, divining its intention, stopped it at once, and throwing itself before the 

 serpent by one spring, cut off" its retreat. Wherever the reptile essayed to escape there it always 

 found its enemy. Then, uniting skill with courage, it erected itself fiercely, to intimidate the bird, 

 and presented, with a frightful hiss, a menacing gape, inflamed eyes, and a head swollen with rage 

 and poison. Sometimes this oflFensive resistance suspended hostilities for an instant; bat the bird 

 soon returned to the charge ; and covering its body with one of its wings as with a shield, struck 

 its enemy with the other, with the bony protuberance of which I have already spoken, and which, 

 like small clubs, overpowered it the more surely, inasmuch as it presented itself to the blows. In 

 eff"ect, I saw it reel and fall extended : then the conqueror threw himself upon it to finish his 

 work; and with one blow of the bill split its skull. At this moment, having no further observa- 

 tions to make, I killed it. i found in its crop, on dissecting it, eleven rather large lizards, three 

 serpents as long as one's arm, eleven small tortoises very entire, many of which were about two 

 inches in diameter, and, finally, a quantity of locusts and insects. The lizards, the serpents, and 

 the tortoises had all received the stroke of the bill on the head." 



This bird is capable of being tamed, and attempts have been made to introduce it into Mar- 

 tinique, for the purpose of destroying venomous serpents. 



Other species of this genus have been named as the G. Capensis, G. Gambiensis, and G. Phil- 

 lippensis, but none of these are established. 



