Cape San Antonio, Buenos At/res. 421 



imagined encroachments, and alternately attack each other 

 accordingly. But their warfare is more productive of noise 

 and general disturbance than bloodshed, or any thing ap- 

 proaching to it. 



When the killing of stock takes place, the Chimango ex- 

 hibits all his characteristics on the offal-ground. While the 

 Caranchos, Storks, Cayenne Ibises, and Gulls feed peacefully 

 enough, the Chimangos fight constantly among themselves, 

 and, though not absolutely venturing to dispute the spoil 

 with the above-named birds, annoy them by their knavishly 

 audacious tricks. 



They often alight on the backs of cattle, horses, and sheep ; 

 but I never saw them attack the sores to which the two latter 

 are liable (from saddle-galls and acarus), a habit which vari- 

 ous writers have attributed to this species. Probably the said 

 writers are correct in their description ; I only state the 

 absence of ocular observation on my own part. 



The flight of the Chimango is not strong, nor swift enough 

 to enable it to strike any small bird on the wing. It also, 

 like the Carancho, soars spirally, though not so high, and 

 in smaller circles. Scores of times have I seen the fol- 

 lowing gradations, each species being represented by several 

 individuals : — First soar Chahas {Chauna chavaria) till, 

 immense as is the bird, they become mere specks in the blue 

 sky, their cry, cha-ha, cha-ha-lee, being still clearly heard. 

 Lower circle the Storks {Ciconia maguari), looking at that 

 height like diminutive winged broomsticks ; then follow 

 Caranchos, croaking cynically their observations on things in 

 general, and the insufficiency of mortality in particular ; 

 while last of all ascend Chimangos, only attaining a height 

 of two or tbree hundred feet, but obnoxiously noisy to 

 the last. 



Its cry consists of a loud prolonged whe-ew, followed 

 immediately by chaw-chaw-chaw — the first resembling a 

 long whistle of surprise, and the latter subsiding into con- 

 tempt and derision. I knew an English lady who took a 

 thorough aversion and dislike to the Chimango on her first 

 arrival in the country, affirming that, as soon and as often as 



SER. IV. VOL. III. ^I 



