BIRDS OF PREY. 7 



abstain from either depreciating or maintaining this statement ; but similar species, carefully observed 

 by ourselves, in the more northern parts of Africa, were capable of nothing but a prolonged whistle 

 or piping scream. In appearance alone do these Hawks bear any resemblance to their European 

 congeners ; in their habits they are dull, extremely indolent, and entirely incapable of the daring 

 exploits that render other members of their race so formidable ; it is by no means uncommon 

 for them to sit for hours together dozing upon a tree, or lazily scanning the surrounding country 

 almost too idly even to note the prey they might easily secure. When in the air their movements 

 resemble in some respects those of our Hawk, but are entirely without the precision and rapidity 

 which render that bird so terrible an opponent. Whilst perched among the branches their appear- 

 ance is ungainly, as they squat motionless with head drawn in, staring fixedly at one particular spot. 

 According to our own experience, they devour toads, grasshoppers, and various kinds of insects in 

 great numbers ; Hartmann tells us that they will also eat lizards. The prey is usually pounced upon 

 as it goes down to the water to drink, yet even then, so slow and apathetic is this bird in its 

 behaviour, that an attempt to seize the victim often proves abortive. W r e are entirely destitute of 

 particulars as to the incubation of this species. 



THE SERPENT HAWK. 



The Serpent Hawk (Polyboroidcs typicus) is a veiy remarkable member of the Hawk family, 

 inhabiting the same parts of Africa as the bird last mentioned ; a very similar species is also met with 

 in Madagascar. The Serpent Hawk is recognisable by the smallness of its head and body, bare cheeks, 

 slender beak, and enormous wings ; the tail is long, broad, and slightly rounded ; the tarsi high and 

 thin, and the toes small. The plumage is dark greyish blue upon the upper portion of the body, front 

 of neck, and breast ; the primary quills are black, the upper secondaries grey, with a black spot near the 

 tip ; the tail-feathers are black tipped with white, and have a broad white streak across the middle. The 

 belly, hose, and tail-covers are white, delicately marked with black. The eye is brown, the beak black, 

 the feet lemon colour, the cere and bare patches round the eyes pale yellow. The male bird is one 

 foot eleven inches and a half long, and four feet four inches across the span of the wings ; these latter 

 are sixteen and the tail eleven inches in length ; the tarsus measures three inches and a quarter, and 

 the middle toe not more than one and a half. 



This species is met with throughout the woodland districts of Eastern Soudan, where it frequents 

 such localities as are in the immediate vicinity of water, as it there finds in abundance the reptiles on 

 which it principally subsists. The manner in which this Hawk obtains its prey is very remarkable, as 

 it is enabled to draw its victims from their holes by the aid of a most curious contrivance ; the tarsus 

 is so constructed as to allow the foot to be turned in all directions, backwards as well as to the sides, 

 and the claws being comparatively small, the leg can be introduced through a very narrow aperture ; 

 it is then moved rapidly into every recess and cranny of the hole, to the inevitable discovery of its 

 helpless occupant. The Serpent Hawks rarely pass much time upon the wing, and, indeed, do little 

 more than fly from one tree to another, exhibiting in all their habits that sluggish and unsocial tem- 

 perament common to most reptile-eating birds ; they live for the most part alone, and spend their 

 time in perching lazily on a bough, or flitting from tree to tree. Verreaux tells us that tiiey will 

 sometimes pursue small birds or quadrupeds. 



The succeeding families of Raptorial Birds are distinguished by the circumstance that, aldiough 

 they pursue and kill living prey, they will likewise occasionally eat carrion ; in order, however, to 

 make the arrangement of this heterogeneous multitude at all clear to the general reader, we must sub- 

 divide them into several different groups. 



