THE LIVING WORLD. 
421 
“be the owl’s victims, attack and claw and peck at him, against which attacks 
he is utterly defenceless because unable to see. 
The Secretary Bird, or Serpent Falcon (Gypogeranus serpentarius), belongs 
to the fauna of South Africa. Its feats as a serpent-killer outdo the fabled 
Hercules, and its successful pursuit of snakes has made it a privileged character, 
protected even by the law. It gen¬ 
erally marches along with the most 
pronounced military dignity, but it 
of burrowing owe ( Strix cunicularia). 
BARN OWE AND NEST. 
has a curious habit of breaking irregularly into a run as if suddenly irri¬ 
tated or frightened. This bird is about three feet in length, and dark 
gray in color. Black feathers form a crest and suggested its name, from a 
fancied resemblance to a clerk with his pen behind his ear. It moves with 
the greatest rapidity so that it has been called the Devil's Horse. As a kickei 
it rivals the ostrich, and when it attacks a serpent it brings into action feet, 
wings and beak, but in his household female suffrage is recognized. The 
American species (Astur atricapillus ) is specially valuable when trained for 
hunting. 
