. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE SECRETARY BIRD. 71 of Southern Africa, and is most invaluable in destroying the serpent race, on which creatures it almost exclusively feeds. Undaunted by the deadly teeth of the cobra, the Secretary Bird comes boldly to the attack, and in spite of all the efforts of the infuriated and desperate reptile, is sure to come off victorious. Many other creatures faU victims to the ravenous appetite of the Secretary, and in the stomach of one of these birds which was found by Le Vaillant, w
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE SECRETARY BIRD. 71 of Southern Africa, and is most invaluable in destroying the serpent race, on which creatures it almost exclusively feeds. Undaunted by the deadly teeth of the cobra, the Secretary Bird comes boldly to the attack, and in spite of all the efforts of the infuriated and desperate reptile, is sure to come off victorious. Many other creatures faU victims to the ravenous appetite of the Secretary, and in the stomach of one of these birds which was found by Le Vaillant, were discovered eleven rather large lizards, eleven small tortoises, a great number of insects nearly entu-e, and three snakes as thicli as a man's arm. Tlie following description of the habits and mode of hunting which is employed by this bird has been kindly forwarded to me by Captain Drayson, to whom I have already been indebted for much curious information respecting the quadi-upeds of Southern -'V^ -T'^^ > C&7^ CHANTING FALCON (ildiera musicus) AND SERPEi\T FALCON (Polybon^des typUnis). " The Secretary Bird is not very common in any part of South Africa, still one or two are frequently seen during a day's ride on the plains. Sometimes two or three of these biixls may be seen stalking over the ground, with a bold, military, and jaunty stride, which is quite in character with the nature of the reptile-eating bird, but more frequently a solitary individual pursues his investigations of newly-burnt grass, or likely and deserted ant-heaps. Frogs and toads appear the more favored repast of the Secretary Bird, but a snake of even three or four feet in length is easily disposed of. " On one or two occasions I have seen a Secretary Bird busily engaged Avith a snake, and it appeared that the bird by means of activity escaped from the deadly fangs of its prey. A Secretary Bird might be seen sailing slowly along at about a hundred yards from the ground ; sudde
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
