. Reptiles and birds : a popular account of their various orders : with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting . Birds; Reptiles. / THE SECEBTAEY BIRD. 645 i â in Africa, was several times a witness of its voracity. One J he had killed a couple of buffaloes, and, after having had *iU cut up, caused the quarters t meat to be hung to dry in the I m ; they were soon assailed by a /.ock of these Vultures, which carried away the pieces of meat in spite of the numerous gunshots with which they were greeted. On another occasion, having killed three zebras at some distance fro
. Reptiles and birds : a popular account of their various orders : with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting . Birds; Reptiles. / THE SECEBTAEY BIRD. 645 i â in Africa, was several times a witness of its voracity. One J he had killed a couple of buffaloes, and, after having had *iU cut up, caused the quarters t meat to be hung to dry in the I m ; they were soon assailed by a /.ock of these Vultures, which carried away the pieces of meat in spite of the numerous gunshots with which they were greeted. On another occasion, having killed three zebras at some distance from >his camp, he went to find a waggon 'to carry them away ; on his return he found nothing but the bones remaining, round which hundreds , jf Vultures were hovering. * The Oricou is of somewhat con- â ierable size; it is about four feet nd three-quarters in length, and the spread oi its wings measures as much as three yards and a half. It builds its nest among inaccessible steep rocks. Lastly, the Chinese Vulture (Vultur leuconotus), which is about the size of a Turkey, is of a dirty brownish black on the bodj'-, and white about the shoulders; it is very common in the southern portions of the Celestial The Serpent-eaters {Gypogeranus, Illiger). This family comprehends but one single species, the Secrelary Bird, which in its organisation seems allied to the Waders. The Secretary Bird ( Gypogeranus serpentarms), Fig. 306, has a widely-opening bill, very crooked and very powerful; a j^ro- jecting superciliary arch; feathered legs; tarsi very long, and covered, as well as the toes, with large and hard scales. The tail is tapering, and the two middle feathers are longer than the others. The wings, which are short and provided with bony protuberances, form most destructive weapons, which the bird uses with much. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectrep
