Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-01-31

thighs and abdomen black, the breast
white. In the male, the naked skin
of the face Is yellow, with long heavy
eyelaShes and large fine gray eyes.
he feet are formidable weapons used
in attack; the beak, which is short,
strong and greatly arched, is never
used until after the victim Is dead.
Each foot Is equipped with a sharp
ened, raised, inner talon, which spe-
cialiZed claw assists in holding the
prey during the process of tearing 1t
with the bill. The public, however, is
not treated to perhaps the most in
teresting and exciting performance Of
the secretary bird, namely, that of
making a realistic attack upon a
snake.
This curious and wiry bird quickly
makes away with his victim. All food
must be alive. A garter snake was
thrown some distance from the male
secretary bird on the ground. Unlike
hawks and vultures, he did not dart
upon the prey at once, but cautious
~ approached the snake with wings
partly outspread, so as to be ready
to fly out Of the way and escape any
sudden lunge of the combative SER
pent. Still watching its movements,
the secretary slowly circled around
his antagonist, looking for an open
ing to slrike, but keeping well out of
danger. Suddenly, like a flash, the
bird raised and shot out one Of his
powerful feet. armed with huge claws
and talons, and struck the snake fair,
iy on the head, stunning 1t. This was
quickly followed by another crush
ing blow, which proved a death blow.
he prey was then quickly swallow
ed. One of the peculiar battle taclics
observed was that the secretary al
ways aimed its blows at the victims
head.
The fighting and killing power of
the secretary is all done by the long,
powerful muscular legs. The bird
strikes a terrific blow by raising eth
er foot to a position at right angles
to the thigh, and bringing it down
with great velocity on the head of
the victim, which receives not only
the force Of the blow, but also the eff
feet of the piercing sharp nails Of the
talons.
In South Africa, their favorite
haunts. the secretaries are said to be
Jf great use to the community as de-
5troyers of venomous pests that infest
he country, for they quickly wipe out
IF existence great numbers of cobras,
vipers and other poisonous reptiles
hat make constant raids upon the
farmers poultry, young pigs, &c. In
ape Colony the birds are protected
By sportmen and hunters on account
of the effective warfare which they
wage against serpents, and fine
is inflicted for hooting them. Its
extreme agility enables the bird In
short time to battle and overcome a
snake four or five feet long. 1t Is
hot Of 40
methods employed by the wiry male
bird in a combat with a big five or
six-foot reptile, which has given him
a game fight on the ground and has
proved a stubborn antagonist to sub
due, is to watch the opportunity,
when he springs and seizes his ad-
versary close to the head, and, flying
several hundred feet up in the air
letting the same drop to the hard
ground below. The blow is usually
fatal and sufficient to prepare the
prey for the final ceremony Of swal-
lowing.
The secretaries travel in pairs, male
and female. If disturbed or pursued
their pace is about as fast as that OF
a running horse.
They seldom use their wings and,
if compelled to do so, can soar to
considerable height. They build
bulky nests, and where trees are to
be had they select one fifty to one
hundred feet above the ground. Their
nests are built of sticks, lined with
grass. and measure as much as five
feet in diameter and three feet in
thickness AS a rule. only two eggs
are laid. Incubation takes six weeks,
which is done by the female. The
young have to remain in their nests
several months before they can stand
on their long, slender legs, which are
very weak and brittle. The young
easily break their legs If disturbed.
Good specimens of secretaries are
difficult to secure and are worth about
500 each.-Scientific American.