BIRDS. RAPACIOUS. Ballard-] 477 



lofty places, often in inacceffible rocks, except a fmall number of fpecies which, have their nefts on 

 the ground. In general the birds of this genus have the bills more crooked than thofe of Vultures ; 

 the noftrils are fmall, moftly oval, and are fituated in that part of the bill which is covered with the 

 cere or naked fkin : The legs and feet are fcaly ; the middle toe is {lightly connected, as far as the 

 firft joint, to the outmoft toe ; the claws are large, ftrong, very fharp, and much hooked. In gene- 

 ral the females are larger than the males, which is fuppofed neceffary for procuring the food cf their 

 young ones. 



Dr Gmelin feparates this genus into four fubgenera, or IefTer divifions, which are adopted in this 

 edition, including the firft fpecies, which he makes a feparate fubdivifion on account of the great 

 length of its legs, with his fecond fubgenus, becaufe it has fome relation to the Vultures, and is ar- 

 ranged along with them by Mr Latham. — T. 



* BASTARD-EAGLES.-GrP/fZr/. 



The bill is hooked only towards the point, and its bafe is garnifhed with a beard of 

 longifh extended briflles. 



This divifion of the genus holds a middle rank between Vultures and Eagles, both in general ap- 

 pearance and manners ; the head is not fo naked as in the Vultures, and the bill is not fo much 

 hooked as that of the Eagle ; like eagles they deftroy living animals, but frequently devour dead 

 carrion like vultures ; accordingly, by fome authors they are ranked with the one, and by fome with 

 the other genus. 



2 7 i. Secretary. — 1. F. Gypaetus ferpentarius. 33. 



Of a dark leaden colour, having a creft on the hind head ; the legs are very long ; the 

 wing quills, vent feathers, and thighs, are black; the two middle tail quills are long- 

 er than the reft. 



Vultur ferpentarius. Lath. ind. orn i. 8. n. 21. — Falco ferpentarius. Syft. nat. ed. Gmel. p. 250. 

 n. 33. Miller, ill. t. 28. A. b. — Secretary Vulture. Lath. fyn. i. 20. n. 17. t. 2. fup. p. 4. — Grus 

 capenfis. Pet. gaz. t. 12. f. 12.? — Sagittarius. Vofmaer, monogr. t. 8. Phil, tranf. Ixi. 55. t. 2. — 

 Secretaire. Sonner. voy. 87. t. 50. — Meflager du cap. PI. enl. 721. — Slaangen-vraater. Sparm. 

 voy. i. 154. 



Inhabits the interior parts of Africa and Afia, and the Philippine ifles. — This animal is about three- 

 feet high when ereft ; its legs are remarkably long, like thofe of the Grallae, or Waders ; the claws 

 are ihort, black, and hooked, but not very fharp; the bill is black, with a white cere, and is not gar- 

 nifhed with the briftly beard mentioned as one of the characters of the fubgenus ; the fpace round 

 the eyes is naked and orange coloured ; the irides are pale afh coloured ; the tail is rounded, having 

 its two middle feathers much longer than the reft, and the tips of all its feathers are white; the creft 

 at the back of the head may be erected and depreffed at pleafure. The Secretary is very readily 

 made tame, and, in its natural ftate, preys on quadrupeds of the order of Glires, and on amphibious 

 animals. 



2 * 2. Harpy. — 2. F. Gypaetus Harpy] a. 34. 



The head is furmounted with a creft of long feathers ; the under part of the body is 



variegated. 

 Vol. L P p p. Vidtuir 



