| OCR Text |
Show Friendly Feeling for Birds That Kill Snakes All over South Africa the secretary bird is protected by law and custom. In the stomach of one secretary bird were found three snakes, each about a yard long, eleven lizards, and a quantity of crickets and locusts. The bird has no hesitation in attacking a cobra or any poisonous snake. It comes up quietly, then, opening its wings to shield its body, flashes upon the snake and usually kills or disables dis-ables it before it can strike. If the snake does manage to strike, the blow is caught upon one of the wings, then the bird's beak and feet finish the business. Before eating its prey, the bird plucks out the feather which was struck. In South America the cariama, a prettily crested bird, much smaller than the secretary, kills snakes. Australia's Aus-tralia's snake killer is the laughing jackass, of which there are several kinds. The bird is a saucy creature and a bit of a thief. But since it kills and eats snakes it is protected and encouraged. |
