662 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



deposit their honey in it ; the honey is excellent, with only a little 

 wax ; these bees do not sting. 



1737. There are other bees as large as medium-sized olives, yellow 

 with dark gray wings ; the Indians call them guancoyro. They 

 deposit their honey more than a stade underground in a cool place, 

 first making a layer of wax, on which they pile up wax cells, out 

 of which the honey is taken. This is better and sweeter than the 

 others ; it has a medicinal effect and is more highly esteemed than 

 the rest. The sting of these bees causes pain and inflammation lasting 

 over a month. 



1738. From right outside the city one finds three kinds of par- 

 tridges. The largest are called guaycos by the Indians ; the medium- 

 sized, picasas ; the smallest, yutos. They have f rancolins, pigeons, 

 turtledoves in great numbers and hunted with falcons, nets, and dogs ; 

 there are falcons, sparrow hawks, eagles, red owls, hoot owls, barn 

 owls, woodpeckers, linnets, swallows ; chiguacos, which are like 

 thrushes ; oritos, which are parrots ; quintis, which look as if gilded, 

 with very handsome variegated plumes ; the tacataca, which is dark 

 gray with red crest and aigrette ; yuros, which are yellow and white 

 birds the size of thrushes, and sing sweetly ; the taracchis are black 

 and dark gray, of the same shape ; the palco is all red, yellow, and 

 black ; they say that its song indicates rain. There is another called 

 tiquitiqui, all red, the size of a thrush ; it sings sweetly three times 

 a day, in the morning, at noon, and at twilight, in the topmost branches 

 of the trees. There is a bird of prey like an eagle which the Indians 

 call alcamari ; the turkey buzzards are called auras, and the Indians 

 call them sucara ; these are larger than ravens ; one remarkable thing 

 is noted in regard to them, that although there are great numbers 

 of them in the cities and settlements, and they are very common 

 everywhere, the eggs and young of these birds have never been found 

 nor can they be. These birds are so useful in the Indies that they 

 are a secondary cause of healthfulness, for they eat up every dead 

 animal and all offal which might corrupt the air. These birds' sense 

 of smell or instinct is so developed that no matter in how remote a 

 spot or how far away from them a dead animal may be, they 

 immediately get on its trail, and they have been the means of bringing 

 to light many hidden deeds of this nature. 



1739. The condors are of such remarkable size that they are 

 usually 4 varas in spread from one wing tip to the other. It is a 

 very savage and harmful bird, and devours a good share of the newly 

 born calves ; three or four of them will tackle a calf ; one will peck 

 it on the hind quarters, which makes it bellow and at that instant 



