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THE BIRDS OF ETHIOPIAN AFRICA 



Both species have the power of bending the upper joint of the shank of the leg 

 either backwards or forwards, a peculiarity of great assistance to these birds when 

 engaged in drawing frogs or lizards from their hiding-places. 



In the vulture group the African lammergeier (Gypaetus ossifragus) differs 

 from the European G. barbatus in having the lower portion of the legs bare. As 

 now restricted, the typical genus Vidtur has no Ethiopian representative ; but of 

 the allied genus Gyps, G. fulvus is a native of the Sudan, while G. rueppelli has a 

 wide range in the region, and G. kolbi is peculiar to South Africa. The tropical 



Pseudogyps africanus is the 

 Ethiopian representative of a 

 genus whose other member is 

 Indian, the same being the 

 case with Otogyps auricularis. 

 On the other hand, Lophogyps 

 occipitalis, of the equatorial 

 regions, is the sole representa- 

 tive of its genus. The two 

 Ethiopian scavenger - vultures 

 have been separated, perhaps 

 unnecessarily, from the typical 

 North African and Indian 

 Neophron under the names of 

 Necrosyrtes pileatus and iV. 

 monachus. 



Of all the Ethiopian birds- 

 of-prey none is more charac- 

 teristic and aberrant than the 

 well-known secretary-bird (Ser- 

 pentarius secretarius), the only 

 representative now living of 

 the family Serpentariidce. This 

 remarkable bird is easily recog- 

 nised by its long, wader-like 

 legs, short and slightly curved 

 claws, very short toes, and 

 greatly elongated and graduated 

 tail, in which the two middle 

 quills are prolonged far beyond 

 the others. The name of the species is derived from the plume of long 

 feathers on the nape of the neck, which stick out behind the head in a 

 fashion suggestive of the quill pens formerly carried by clerks in a somewhat 

 similar position. Secretary-birds are most common on the plains of southern 

 Africa, although their range extends as far north as Senegambia, the Sudan, 

 and Abyssinia. These birds apparently subsist on a mixed diet, of which 

 reptiles form a not inconsiderable portion, and spend most of their time on the 

 ground, from which they do not rise even when pursued by horsemen, but 



SERPENT SPARROW-HAWK 



