94 LITTLE FOLKS 
This bird, as you see in the picture, has feathers sticking back of 
his head, which look something like the quill pen of the old-fash- 
ioned secretary. 
I must say I think it's an awkward name, but the learned men 
did not improve it much when they called him Secretaries 
Serpentarius. 
He has another common name, though. He is sometimes 
called the Messenger bird, because he can run so fast on those long, 
slim legs of his. 
Can you see any reason why this bird, and other birds who live 
by killing live creatures, hatch only one or two eggs at a time, while 
hens and other fowls hatch six or eight ? It is one of the wise 
provisions of nature to keep things even over the world. 
If birds of prey had large broods, they would soon exterminate 
every kind of reptile and creature they feed on. And as every 
creature is useful in some way, no one can be entirely spared. 
The Secretary bird has the honor of still another name among 
the Arabs. They call him "Thirty-ears." 
I want to tell you what one man found in the stomach of a 
Secretary bird, just to show you how much he can eat. There were 
eleven medium sized lizards, eleven small tortoises, a great 
many insects, and three snakes as thick as a man's arm. What do 
you think of that for a dinner? 
A Secretary bird is not very often killed, for he is so useful 
that no one is inclined to do so, and besides the killing of one is 
forbidden by law and punished with a fine. 
You see what long legs he has, his walk is said to be something 
like the walk of a person on stilts, but his run is something wonder- 
ful. Nothing can overtake him, and the Arabs call him — among 
other names — the Devil's Horse. 
The Secretary bird is about three feet long, and he wears a 
suit of dark gray, trimmed with black, and having a white tip to 
his tail. 
