34 STOJilES ABOUT BIRDS. 



Like the rest of his race, he is a great glutton, and will feed until he is 

 unable to rise again into the air. He may then be approached, but rather at 

 your peril, since he fights desperately, and is more difficult to kill than almost 

 any creature in the world. 



We can tell you an anecdote about the condor's power of life. 

 A miner in Chili, a very strong man, once saw a condor enjoying his 

 feast on the mountains. He had eaten so much that he could not fly, and 

 the man attacked and tried to kill him. The battle lasted a long time, and 

 the man was nearly exhausted. But in the end he thought he was the victor, 

 and left the condor dead, as he imagined, on the field. Some of the feathers 

 he carried off in triumph to show to his companions, and told them he had 

 never fought so fierce a battle. The other miners went to look at the condor, 

 when, to their surprise, he was standing erect, flapping his wings, in order to 

 fly away. 



A bird with such powers of life continues to exist years and years. 

 Indeed, the condor is said to live for a century. 



The Indian tries to catch the condor by stratagem. He employs him to 

 ■fight in a ring, at those cruel bull-fights which are the favourite amusements 

 in that part of the world. 



He does not attempt to attack the condor openly, for he knows how 

 strong he is, and he wishes, besides, to take him alive. 



He procures the skin of a cow, and hides himself beneath it. Some pieces 

 of flesh are left hanging to the skin, and are sure to attract the condor. He 

 comes pouncing on the prey, and while he is feeding with his usual greediness 

 the Indian contrives to fasten his legs to the skin. When this is done, he 

 comes out of his concealment, and the bird sees him for the first time. He 

 flaps his wings, and would fly but that his feet are entangled ; and, more than 

 this, a number of other Indians come running up, and throw their mantles 

 •over him. 



There Is another way of taking the condor, but without saving his life. 

 In a certain place in the mountains there is a large, deep chasm, that 

 might be almost called a condor trap. 



A dead mule is placed on the brink of the chasm, and very soon the 

 condors scent it out. Down they come, and soon pull the mule over into the 

 abyss. They follow with haste, and feast until they can scarcely stir. Then 

 the Indians follow with sticks, and kill as many as they can. 



