34 The Official Guide to the 
which contains two species, P. fypicus and P 
radiatus. They are both reptile feeders, the former 
having an extended range on the continent of Africa, 
the latter being found in Madagascar. Both species” 
are possessed of a remarkable peculiarity which exists 
THE SECRETARY BIRD. 
From Professor Newton’s ** Dictionary of Birds.” 
« 
in no other bird, they are able to direct the tarsus (the 
long bone immediately above the foot, popularly 
regarded as the leg) both backwards and forwards. 
This peculiar flexibility at the joint between the tibia 
