282 
BIRDS OF PREY 
hawks, having the same powerful muscles and the same sharp and 
terrible talons. How useful these claws are you may judge from the 
fact that, even in so small a bird as the common barn owl, they can 
be used with such force and address as to keep at bay even a well- 
trained dog. At least one case has been known, indeed, in which a 
dog, coming up to look at an owl, was struck so sharply and quickly 
by the angry bird that both its eyes were blinded, one of the terrible 
talons having entered each and quite destroyed the sight. When fight¬ 
ing, the owl mostly rolls over upon its back, so that it may be able to 
use its claws with greater freedom. 
Several varieties of owls are found in Africa, but the classification 
is not complete. 
The Secretary Bird, from South Africa, has crane-like legs, 
about three feet long, and slate-gray plumage, marked with black, 
derives its name from its erectile crest, which the early Dutch settlers 
compared to pens stuck behind the ear of a clerk. It is extremely ser¬ 
viceable in destroying snakes, which constitute its principal food. It 
is often tamed and kept in poultry yards, but it has a bad habit of 
snapping up young chickens; and there is a story that the where¬ 
abouts of a missing kitten was discovered by hearing a faint mew as 
the pet secretary bird stalked to and fro, looking as innocent as if it 
knew nothing at all about the matter. 
