THE SECRETARY FALCON. 
This curious bird resembles the common 
Falcon in its head, bill, and claws ; but its legs 
are so long that, when it stands upright, it is 
not much unlike the crane. When standing 
erect, it measures about three feet from the top 
of the head to the ground. It is a native of 
the interior of Africa, Asia, and the Philippine 
Islands. The general colour of the plumage is 
a bluish ash; the tips of the wings, and the 
thighs, inclining to black. On the back of 
the head are several long dark-coloured fea- 
thers, hanging down behind, and capable of 
being erected at pleasure. This crest induced 
the Dutch colonists at the Cape to give it the 
name of the Secretary ; the Hottentots, how- 
ever, style it the Serpent-eater, from the avidity 
with which it catches and devours those nox- 
ious reptiles. The manner in which it seizes 
