6 BULLETIN" 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



I did not see the young condor again until December 6, 1908, when I was 

 in New Yoi'k. I again entered his cage and found him as friendly and affec- 

 tionate as ever. He nibbled the buttons on my coat and wanted to be petted. 

 I was very much surprised to find that he showed no signs of bright color 

 about his head, as it was covered with short gray down. He had been in good 

 health, but at the age of almost three years he had not acquired the bright 

 coloring of his parents. It is interesting to note that the head of a newly- 

 hatcht condor, as well as that of the old bird, is perfectly bald ; yet the head 

 of the immature condor for the first few years is covered with a thick coat 

 of furry down. 



Plumages. — The foregoing quotations from Mr. Finley's articles 

 tell us all we know about the development of plumages in the young 

 condor, white down at first, followed by gray down, the first plum- 

 age appearing during the fourth month. 



Even at three years of age the condor's head was still covered with 

 gray down, showing none of the bright colors of the adult. Mr. 

 Finley (1908) describes the colors of the adult as follows: 



Their bills were of dark horn color and the red skin of the head extended 

 down covering the bill about lialf way. The feet were of similar color, but 

 on each knee was a patch of red. There was a brighter patch of red on the 

 breast of each bird, which could occasionally be seen when they were preening 

 and when they spread their breast feathers. Both had light-colored wing- 

 bars and the primaries were well worn. The skin on the throat hung loose 

 and the lower mandible fitted in close under the upper, giving the bird a 

 peculiar expression. The chin was orange and below this on the neck was a 

 strip of greenish-yellow merging into brighter orange on the sides and back of 

 the neck. The top and front of the head were bright red, but between the eyes 

 was a small patch of black feathers, and these extended down in front of 

 the eye till they faded into the orange red of the neck. The pupil of the 

 eye was black, but the iris was deep red and conspicuous. The top of the 

 head was wrinkled as if with age. The ruff, or long shiny black feathers 

 about the neck, was often ruffled up, giving the bird a savage appearance. 

 Behind the rufC on the back the feathers were edged with dark brown. 



1 have not seen enough material to work out the molts of adults, 

 but, as the parents referred to above were in worn plumage in July 

 and as Mr. Finley (1908) saw a third bird with feathers missing 

 from wings and tail, a complete molt probably occurs late in sum- 

 mer. Experience with the birds in the National Zoological Park 

 suggests that even in a wild state the young birds require a long 

 time to reach the breeding age. Young birds show little or no white 

 in the under wing coverts. 



Food. — Mr. Finley's young condor was a very clean feeder, reject- 

 ing any meat that was not fresh or the bodies of dead game birds and 

 mammals. When the flesh of squirrels or birds was mixed with 

 fresh beef, he would always pick out the beef and leave the other 

 things. But the California condor is a vulture and naturally has 

 food habits similar to those of other vultures, though it probably 



