THE SECRETARY BIRD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4866, 3 February 1894, Page 3

THE SECRETARY BIRD.

{St James's Budget.)

As soon aa the secretary bird, or Bnake eater (Gypogeranus serpentarius), of South Africa discovers a snake, it advances toward it, without hurry and without hesitation, and when within striking distance it immediately elevates its crest and the feathers of the neck, and, without loaing any time, delivers a blow with ita foot. If the snake has avoided tha blow and attempts to strike in return, the bird interposes a wing, thus receiving the deadly fangs harmlessly upon the long feathers, and immediately strikes again. The fight is then virtually over, for if the secretary gets in a single blow the snake's back ia broken, and the bird, like lightning, plants its foot firmly on the reptile's head and neck, pressing them into the ground, while it delivers the coup de grace with its beak, and then deliberately swallows the snake whole, beginning at the tale, and, just before the head disappears, giving it a parting rap on the ground. But there is nothing refined aboxit the secretary bird's appetite, for one writer says he found inside one three serpents -' as long as hia arm," eleven lizardß seven inches long, twenty-one tortoises about two inches in diameter, " besides a large quantity of grasshoppers and other insects ; " or, in other words, seven aud a half feet of snake, Bix and a half of lizard, three and a half of tortoise, and, say, a yard of miscellaneous trifles ! The secretary bird ia protected by the Cape aubhorities for the immense public benefit it confers in eatiog poisonous snakes, and a penalty is attached by law to ita destruction. And, if it were necessary, hundreds of eye-witnesses could be called to prove its right to the title of " Serpeufcariua." Curiously, euough, too, this bird can be trained, and is trained, to protect poultry yar ds, not only from snakes, which ara all too fond of eggs, but; fj-QHi other iWM&PW«