Cape San Antonio, Buenos Ay res. 415 



8. PoLYBORus THARUS (Mol.). Carancho. 



Nerj common, and very destructive to young lambs. The 

 only thing in its favour is that it plays the part of scavenger 

 admirably, soon disposing of all carrion left in the camp. 

 Though without any true courage, it is by no means wanting 

 in audacity, and will attack a lamb within a few yards of the 

 shepherd, unless it should see a gun in the hands of the latter. 

 Once I found one perched on the back of a sickly sheep, 

 whence it dashed against the animal's head every now and 

 then, endeavouring by fierce buffets of its wings to bring 

 it down, and apparently knowing that the poor brute once 

 down would never rise again. In such a case the eyes are 

 first attacked, and then those parts where the skin is most 

 tender. The fact of its alighting to watch for the (supposed) 

 death of anybody who lies down to sleep or rest in the camp, 

 is too well known to need any corroboration. But the Ca- 

 rancho is too wary to begin an actual attack on a human 

 being so long as it detects any sign of life. Though I have 

 hitherto never been a sufferer by any of its thieving propen- 

 sities, some of my escapes have been very narrow, and other 

 persons I know have not been so fortunate. Sometimes, when 

 unable to carry a nest of large eggs, I have hidden them in 

 some hole in the ground and covered them with weeds, purpos- 

 ing to pick them up on my way home; and though no Carancho 

 had been in sight at the time, yet more than once my return 

 has just been soon enough to save the spoil from the enemy. 

 On one such occasion I had gathered over a hundred .good 

 eggs [Cygnus nigricoUis, Chauna chavaria, Ciconia maguari, 

 Ardea egretta, A. candidissima, Rostrhamus sociabilis, Mil- 

 viago chimango, &c.) , and, emerging from the swamp, proceeded 

 to hide them in a thick clump of " durasnillos,'' carefully 

 covering them up with branches and leaves of the same. In 

 an hour's time I returned with a fresh load, and, to my horror, 

 found my cache surrounded by over a score of Caranchos ! 

 A barrel right and left accounted for two of them and dis- 

 persed the remainder, while on riding up I was thankful to 

 find that they had only got the length of removing most of 

 the brushwood, not a single egg having been touched. A 



