COLLECTING AT CAPE FAIRWEATHER. 69 



wanted to use it, I found only the bit and buckles ; the reins and head 

 pieces, which were made of California red leather, were cut up into bits 

 each not more than an inch in length. The damage wrought by these 

 little animals would seem to be due to an inherent spirit for wanton or 

 mischievous destruction rather than a search for food. It was never safe 

 to picket a horse with a rope made of rawhide or a long tie strap made 

 of leather, since either might be found cut to bits by these animals. 



They live in shallow burrows, among bushes and in the crevices of the 

 rocks, where such are to be found. They seem to be chiefly scavengers, 

 living for the most part upon the carcasses of dead sheep, guanaco, and 

 other animals. They undoubtedly prey on smaller mammals and on the 

 eggs and young of birds, when the latter are in season. Their fur is 

 abundant, of a soft quality and rather light gray color over most of the 

 body. 



For some time succeeding my discovery of the Cape Fairweather Beds 

 I used to go daily to the summit of this landslide, to attend a number of 

 traps which I had set, not without success, for small mammals, and to col- 

 lect fossils from the newly discovered marine horizon. On one of these 

 days, while engaged in collecting a series of most beautifully preserved 

 brachiopods from a block which had broken loose and fallen down from 

 the summit and lay on the surface of the slide, a condor, apparently at- 

 tracted by my presence, alighted on a projecting ledge of the cliff above 

 me and sat for some moments apparently intent on ascertaining the cause 

 of my presence in such an unexpected and inaccessible place. It had 

 been my custom on such days to take with me a double-barreled shotgun 

 together with a number of shells loaded with shot of various sizes. At 

 that very moment this weapon lay at my feet. Already familiar with the 

 habits of these birds I was in no hurry, but leisurely taking up the gun I 

 slipped a couple of shells loaded with BB shot into the chambers, 

 approached a few steps nearer and, just as the noble bird was preparing 

 to be off, discharged the contents of one barrel. He dropped instantly, 

 landing with a thud on the soft talus and lay stone dead (?) almost at my 

 feet. Going nearer I picked up the dead bird and taking it with me I 

 carefully laid it with my gun upon the ground and resumed the work of 

 collecting brachiopods and other fossils, which had been thus temporarily 

 interrupted. After continuing the latter for a number of hours, or until 

 such time as the fading twilight indicated that the day was spent, I packed 



