. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . Fig. 285.—Pondicherry Vulture. THE SECRETARY BIRD. 6ll The Serpent-eaters {Gypogeranus-). This family comprehends but one single species, the SecretaryBird, which in its organisation seems allied to the Waders. The Secretary Bird {Serpentarius secretarius, Fig. 286) has a. Fig. 236.—Secretary Bird. widely-opening bill, very crooked and very powerful; a projectingsuperciliary arch; tarsi very long, and covered, as well as the toes,with large and hard scales ; th
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . Fig. 285.—Pondicherry Vulture. THE SECRETARY BIRD. 6ll The Serpent-eaters {Gypogeranus-). This family comprehends but one single species, the SecretaryBird, which in its organisation seems allied to the Waders. The Secretary Bird {Serpentarius secretarius, Fig. 286) has a. Fig. 236.—Secretary Bird. widely-opening bill, very crooked and very powerful; a projectingsuperciliary arch; tarsi very long, and covered, as well as the toes,with large and hard scales ; the tail is tapering, and the two middlefeathers are longer than the others; the wings, which are short andprovided with bony protuberances, form most destructive weapons, N N 2 612 REP JILES AND BIRDS. which the bird uses with much skill to disable the various snakesof which its food principally consists. It has on its head a tuft oflong feathers, which can be raised at will. This has been the originof its name, in allusion to the custom that clerks had of placing theirpen behind their ear in the days when goose-quills were used forwriting. Its toes are short, and its claws blunt and well-adapted forwalking. It consequently runs very rapidly; hence it sometimesobtains the name of Messenger Bird. A contest between a Secretary Bird and a serpent is a mostcurious sight. The reptile, when attacked su
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectrep
