THE SECRETARY FALCON. 



THIS curious bird resembles the common 

 Falcon in its head, bill, and claws ; but its legs 

 are so long that, when it stands upright, it is 

 not much unlike the crane. When standing 

 erect, it measures about three feet from the top 

 of the head to the ground. It is a native of 

 the interior of Africa, Asia, and the Philippine 

 Islands. The general colour of the plumage is 

 a bluish ash ; the tips of the wings, and the 

 thighs, inclining to black. On the back of 

 the head are several long dark-coloured fea- 

 thers, hanging down behind, and capable of 

 being erected at pleasure. This crest induced 

 the Dutch colonists at the Cape to give it the 

 name of the Secretary ; the Hottentots, how- 

 ever, style it the Serpent-eater, from the avidity 

 with which it catches and devours those nox- 

 ious reptiles. The manner in which it seizes 



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