Fam. FALCONIDiE.
Sub-fam. POLYBORIN2E.
7. S er pen ta r ia s secr e tar iu s . Secretary Bird.
Serpentarius repUlivorus, Layard, B. S. Afr, p. 33 (1867).
This bird is widely distributed all over South Africa, and is met
with throughout the Oape Colony. Yictorin found it from March to
September at the Knysna. Mr. Richard informs us that it is found
both near Port Elizabeth and East London. Mr. Ayres has met
with it in Natal, where, however, he says it is rare near D’Urban ;
and more recently he has procured it in the Transvaal territory.
Mr. T. E. Buckley observes :—“ I only met with this bird on two or
three occasions in the Transvaal, and “I saw one pair on the Limpopo.”
Respecting its distribution in the Zambesi country Dr. Kirk
writes as follows —“ Not observed on the lower Zambesi, nor in the
vicinity of the Nyassa. One specimen alone was seen on the plain
between the Zambesi and Batoka hills, about the confluence of the
Kafne. By the natives it is respected from the nature of its food,
and from its killing snakes.”
The late Mr. Andersson records the Secretary Bird as “ found
sparingly in Great Namaqua and Damara Land, and on the plains of
Ondonga in the Ovampo Country; it also occurs about Lake Ngami,”
I t has recently been procured still further to the northward on the
west coast, for the Lisbon Museum has received two examples, one
from Huilla in the Mossamedes district, collected by Señor Anchieta,
and another from Benguela procured by Señor Freitas Branco.
When a pair establish themselves in any locality, they speedily
drive out all others of the same kind, and will breed in the same nest
for a long period. The latter is a huge structure, added to yearly,
placed sometimes in a low bush, sometimes in a thick thorny mimosa.
We are told they never lay more than two eggs, which are of a dirty
dull white, profusely dotted with light, brownish-red blotches at the
obtuse end, and sparsely over the whole shell: axis, 3" V";
diam,, 2" 4"'. The young utter a guttural, rattling cry, precisely
resembling the call of the Stanley Crane. They are a long while ere
they can walk, as their legs seem unable to support the weight of
their bodies, and snap with the least exertion. One which we were
rearing for the Acclimatization Societies of Melbourne and Sydney
trod in a small wooden bowl sunk in the ground, and instantly fell,
breaking his leg* and wing. We spliced them both, but he died in
ten days. We are informed that the texture of the nest is so loose,
that the legs of the young hang through the interstices until they
acquire sufficient strength to be bent under them, but this we have
not found to be the case. Mr. Atmore writes, “ I have seen several
encounters between the Secretary Bird and snakes. If the snake
bites a feather the bird pulls it out immediately. On one occasion I
saw one leave off fighting and run to a pool of water, where he suddenly
fell down and died : on examining him I found the snake had
drawn blood from the point of the pinion. They eat everything,
rats, lizards, locusts, snakes, tortoises, etc.” Mr. H. Jackson says
they sometimes lay three eggs, and that the nest is firmly built and
lined with hair and wool.
Mr. Henry Buckley says that the eggs in his collection vary from
3‘07 x 2-23 inches to 3 x 2’38, are pear-shaped and of a dirty white
colour.
Head, neck, breast, and mantle greyish-blue, slightly shaded with
reddish-brown on the wing-coverts. Larger quills black. Throat
white; under part of tail white, tinged with russet. Thighs black,
tinted brown. Tail-feathers very long, black at the base, then paling
into grey, and tipped with white; two long central tail-feathers
bluish-grey, tipped with black and white. Crest of ten feathers
arranged in pairs, the lesser ones at the top black and grey, the others
black. Legs very long, toes short, claws blunt. Length, 48";
wing, 27"; tail, 26".
Fig. Yieill. & Oud. Gal. Ois. I. pi. 260.
Sub-fam. ACCIPITRINA1.
8. P odyboroides TTPicus. Banded Gymnogene.
Specimens of this curious bird have been procured in various parts
of the colony—by Mr. Gird, at the Paarl; Mr. Cairncross, at
Swellendam; and Mr. Atmore, in the George district. Mr. Chapman
also found it in the interior. Mr. Gird observed his specimen
beating over a marsh abounding in snipe. The stomach of one we
All who have tried to rear these birds notice this brittleness in their bones.
We have, since the above was written, lost several more from similar causes, and
have known them snap a leg if suddenly startled into a quick run !!