Journey through Colombia and Ecvador. 223 



yellow. Iris blackisli grey; legs and feet cliromc-yellow. 

 Local name " Curiquingui." 



519. PoLYBORUs CHERiWAY (Jacq.). 



A male from Corazdn, at about 12^000 feet. Scarce. The 

 bare skiu on the face is dark red. 



Fara. Cathartid^e. 



520. Sarcorhamphus gryphus (Linn.). 



Condors were first seen by us at the village of Purace, in 

 the Central Cordillera of Colombia, above Popayan. They 

 were looked upon by the natives there as rare birds, and to 

 shoot one was considered a grand triumph. We saw the same 

 pair in the neighbourhood for more than a week, but we could 

 not get the chance of a shot at them. These were all that 

 we saw until we reached Pasto, but from thence southwards 

 we met with them in increasing numbers at high elevations. 

 When staying at Quito in November, we arranged for a visit 

 to Pichincha, on purpose to shoot some of these Vultures. 

 We went provided with a tent and all necessaries for a stay 

 of four days. We also bought an old mare to kill, as we had 

 been told that the Condors had a partiality for such food. 

 At that time, not knowing the country nor the habits of the 

 birds, we did not choose so advantageous a spot as we might 

 have done, for the Indians led us to an open, and what after- 

 wards proved to be a very exposed, sloping valley, between 

 the old and the present crater, at an altitude of about 15,000 

 feet. We put up our tent in a heavy snowstorm, and then 

 the Indians left us, with the exception of one, promising to 

 come back for us in four days. We shot the old mare on 

 the brink of a ''quebrada^^ about 300 yards from the tent, 

 and then awaited results. Our first night proved how badly 

 we were located. Apart from the cold, which was intense, 

 the wind blew almost a hurricane, and it seemed as if our 

 tent would be carried completely away. We were relieved 

 when daylight dawned and we were able to strengthen it. 

 The uncanny feeling produced by the tremblings and subter- 

 ranean noises vanished as the sun rose behind the Eastern 

 Andes, lighting up in succession the snowy heads of the 



