4iJ 



Bird - Lore 



understand why he stayed there. The 

 Crows, always greatly alarmed, often 

 perched in the willows and alders nearby, 

 to caw in curiosity while he sat, as if in 

 reverie, watching every move they made. 



He was always shy when visitors were 

 about. Ordinarily he played about the 

 yard, paying no attention to our presence, 

 but the minute he saw a stranger coming 

 he made all haste to climb to one of his 

 perches out of reach. 



The camera was a bore to General. 



He soon learned to follow us about and 

 came when called. If we walked over to 

 the apple tree and patted it, he climbed 

 into it immediately. His instinct to climb 

 was strong. The minute we set a ladder 

 against a tree, up he would hop. He liked 

 to climb to the top of a stump and fly ofi'. 

 One of these stumps was ten feet high. 

 When he was just learning the use of his 

 wings, he seemed to enjoy the sensation. 

 He flew to the ground only to climb up 

 and try the experiment again. Some- 



A CHARACTERISTIC ATTITUDE OF THE CONDOR ON HIS FAVORITE PERCH 



Usually I could walk up to him anywhere 

 about the yard, but when I approached 

 to take a picture, he began to edge away 

 as far as possible. Perhaps he remembered 

 the instrument from his early days, when 

 he was taken out of his nest, and when he 

 hissed in defiance at being set up before 

 the camera. He was in a savage state 

 then and fought like a demon. 



But there is nothing treacherous or 

 savage in the Condor nature. General 

 undoubtedly felt a strong love for society. 

 He liked to be petted and amused. He 

 preferred to be near us rather than alone. 

 His intelligence was surprising at times. 



times he flapped his wings with such 

 energy that he lifted himself into the air, 

 but this was only practice, for he was still 

 timid about trusting his wings. 



The old Condors had shown great love 

 for each other and for their single nest- 

 ling. The young Condor lost his wildness 

 when taken from his native haunt, and 

 soon became gentle and fond of those 

 who cared for him. He loved to be petted 

 and fondled. He liked to nibble at my 

 hand, run his nose up my sleeve, and bite 

 the buttons on my coat, and he was 

 gentler than any pet cat or dog. Behind 

 his rough exterior he was very gentle. 



