THE CEOWNED CEANE. 
245 
pools of water; very long toes^ especially the hind toe^ to 
stand more firmly in rivers ; large crooked talons, and the 
middle serrate on the inside, to hold eels and other slippery 
fishes the faster, or because they sit on trees ; lean and car- 
rion bodies, because of their great fear and watchfulness/^ 
The delicate Marabou feathers, which decorate the head- 
dresses of the fair, are the under tail-coverts of large species 
of those big-billed, repulsive-looking storks with bare heads, 
which are common in West Africa and in India. The Ad- 
jutants, as these birds are called in India, are peculiarly 
useful as scavengers, clearing away carrion of every descrip- 
tion. Beneath the middle of the throat they have a large 
fleshy appendage, which, with their nearly bare heads and 
large, high beaks, contributes much to the ugliness of their 
look. They sometimes capture birds on the wing by means 
of this large, awkward-looking bill. 
The Crowned Crane of South Africa {Balearica pavonina), 
with its curious, bushy, bristle- like, barbless feathers, is re- 
garded by the Kaffirs, in some parts of South Africa, as a 
sacred bird. Dr. Smith informs us"^ that if one should 
happen to be killed, even by accident, the only thing 
which will satisfy the people alluded to, is the slaughtering 
* Catalogue of South African Museum, p. 36. 
