310 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

mouth, exactly resembling that produced by thrusting a red
hot poker into water; and frequently a snuffing like a dog
clearing his nostrils, as I suppose they were theirs. On
observing that they did not heed me, I stole so close that
my feet were within one yard of the horse’s legs, and I
again sat down. They all slid aloof a few feet; but seeing
me quiet, they soon returned as before. As they were often
disturbed by the dogs, I ordered the latter home: my voice
gave no alarm to the vultures. As soon as the dogs departed,
the vultures crowded in such numbers, that I counted at one
time thirty-seven on and around the carcase, with several
within; so that scarcely an inch of it was visible. Sometimes
one would come out with a large piece of the entrails, which
in a moment was surrounded by several others, who tore it
in fragments, and it soon disappeared. They kept up the
hissing occasionally. Some of them having their whole legs
and heads covered with blood, presented a most savage
aspect. Sometimes I observed them stretching their neck
along the ground, as if to press the food downwards.”
The Secretary The Secretary Bird, so called from the possession
Bird. of feathers thought to resemble pens behind the
ear, feeds on snakes and other reptiles. Le Vaillant, who
in dissecting one of these birds, found in his crop eleven
large lizards, three serpents each a yard in length, eleven
small tortoises and a great quantity of locusts and other
insects, once witnessed a contest thus referred in the “Percy
Anecdotes” :

“When the secretary approaches a serpent, it always carries
the point of one of its wings forward, in order to parry off
its venomous bites; sometimes it finds an opportunity of
spurning and treading upon its antagonist; or else, of taking
him upon its pinions, and throwing him into the air. When
by this system it has, at length, wearied out its adversary,
and rendered him almost senseless, it kills and swallows him
at leisure. On the occasion which Vaillant mentions, the