THE CONDOR. 65 



birds stood about at a distance of only a few feet. If I threw a stone or 

 ran after them as though to frighten them away, they did not take to 

 flight in a body, only those against which my efforts were more particu- 

 larly directed would fly off for a short distance, or more likely make a 

 short circle and return to their original positions. 



During the three years that I spent in Patagonia I had abundant oppor- 

 tunities for observing and noting the manner in which the carranchas and 

 condors attack the fresh carcasses of dead animals, and I always observed 

 it to be similar to that described above. The carranchas always attack 

 the eyes first, then cut out and carry away the tongue by making a hole 

 through the skin at the base of and between the lower jaws, while the 

 condors prefer the abdominal viscera and, in order the more readily to 

 get at these delicacies, they attack the carcass in the region of the flank, 

 where the external abdominal wall is thinnest and protected by very 

 thin skin and a rather scanty covering of hair. 



Contented with my slaughter for the day, I picked up the dead condor, 

 stuffed some cotton in the wounds to prevent the blood from soiling the 

 feathers and, taking my Winchester, started for camp with my heavy bur- 

 den. After tramping some distance through the low sand hills that lay 

 between me and the tent, I came upon Mr. Peterson busily engaged in 

 the skinning of one of the three guanacos which he had killed from a 

 bunch shortly after leaving me on the bed of shingle. Depositing my 

 load upon the ground, I assisted him in his work and when the skins of 

 the three were off and the flesh stripped from the skulls and limb bones 

 necessary for properly mounting the stuffed skins, a horse was procured 

 and all packed safely into camp, where they were treated with preserva- 

 tives and properly cared for until in a condition fit to pack. 



While we had gone to Patagonia with the mutual understanding that 

 Mr. Peterson should devote himself especially to the recent fauna and 

 more particularly to the birds and mammals, while I would look after 

 the geology and palaeontology of the region, yet there was in reality 

 no division of labor. We both worked together, each giving his time 

 either wholly or in part to the special work of the other, according 

 as we were in a locality especially favorable for one or the other 

 branches of our work. Palaeontology, however, took the preference 

 over all other branches, as was quite natural, since that was the primary 

 purpose of our expedition to Patagonia, and most of our previous 



