the earcafes before they putrify and fill the air with noxious exhalations.
17-
SECRETARY
V.
18.
PLAINTIVE 'V.
D escrip t ion.
Secretary V . Gen. Syn. i. p. 20. N° 17. pi. z«
Slaangen-vraater, Sparrm. Voy. i. p. 154.
D R. Sparrman fays, that this is not a fhy bird ; but when
feared, it firft tries to fave itfelf by hopping and fcudding
very fwiftly; and, if this method fails, takes to flight. It feizes
Serpents, by firft holding the point o f one wing forward to parry
o ff the bite ; fometimes fpurning and treading upon i t ; at other
times takingut on its pinions, and throwing it into the air; and
after wearying out the adverfary, kills and fwallows it at leifure,
without danger. The above account, Dr. Sparrman does not
doubt the truth of, though it did not fall under his own obferva-
tibn. - n
Plaintive Eagle, Gen. Syn. I. p. 54*
Br. Muf.
1* E N G T H two feet four inches. Bill two inches long, and
not greatly hooked, the colour bla ck; the cere extends to
within one inch and a quarter of the tip, and the noftrils are placed
obliquely near the to p ; the bare part extends backward round the
eyes, almoft to the top o f the head; and the colour o f the whole of
the bare parts yellow: the fore-part o f the neck is nearly deftitute
o f feathers : the top o f the head and hind part of the neck are
brown : the upper part o f the body barred brown and white: the
wings brown: the tail white, crofted with blackifh bars, and the
end, for one inch, o f this laft colour; the bafe o f the four firft
quills marked as the ta il: the legs yellow; claws black, moderately
hooked, and blunt at the tips.
The above defcription I was enabled to draw up from a fpeci-
men preferved in fpirits, now in the Britijh Mufeum ; whereby I
have full affurance o f its belonging to the Vulture genus, and
feems to be no other than my Plaintive Eagle before defcribed.
Falco cheriway, Jacq. Vogel, p. 17-1. 4r
JT E N G T H two feet and a half, or more. Bill pale blue : head
and neck very pale yellow : hind-head crefted : cere and
round the eyes rofe-colour : general colour o f the plumage on the
upper parts ferruginous, beneath pale, vent white; the two middle
tail feathers barred with dufky ; the lateral ones, and quills,
dufky bla ck: legs pale yellow.
Inhabits the ifland of Aruba, on the coaft o f Venetzuela, in South
America.
19.
CHERIWAY V..
D e s c r i p t i o n .
P l a c e .-
Crefted V. Gen. Syn. i. p. (H 20.
Vultur coronatus, Jacq.Vog.g. i ^.-N^'i i . CROWNED
T HIS is very probably a variety o f the crefted Vulture, as it is D e s c r i p t i o n .
faid to be o f the fame fize. The bill is black : the head o f
a reddilh grey, and adorned with a creft compofed o f feveral feathers,
fix inches long at leaft: part o f the wings, the neck, and
bread;, are bla ck: belly white : thighs white, fpotted with bla ck:
tail long, black and white mixed : legs very ftrong and yellow.
This was met with near St. Magdalen River, in New Grenadav P e a c e .
When it Hands ereft, it is two feet and a half in height-
Ler