CARRION BIRDS. 107 



up her heels the hind leg's were dexterously caug-ht^ 

 when in a moment the beast was drag-g-ed over on 

 one side and firmly moored. Leaving- the horses to 

 keep up the strain^ — for the lasso is made fast to an 

 iron rino- in the saddle— the riders dismounted, and 

 Escalante drawing- out a long- knife from his belt 

 and renewing- the edg-e upon a steel which he carried 

 in one boot^ quickly despatched the beast. A second 

 heifer was afterwards picked out from the herd and 

 caug-ht by the horns ; as the animal^ maddened with 

 terror^ was g-allopped past with the lasso at full 

 strain^ I must confess that being- a novice I did not 

 feel quite comfortable^ and instinctively clutched my 

 g-un^ not being' altog-ether sure that the lasso mig'ht 

 not break; — but^ although no thicker than the little 

 fing-er^ it is of immense streng'th^ being* made of 

 plaited hide. This beast was secured and butchered 

 prett}?^ much as in the former instance * the bolas 

 had been thrown at the hind leg's^ but caug'ht only 

 one, round which the three thong's and balls were so 

 tig'htly interlaced as to require some patience in 

 extricatino- them. 



While slaug'htering" the cattle it was amusing- to 

 notice the familiarity of the carrion hawks^ hundreds 

 of which were collected about, perched upon the 

 little hillocks all round, watching' every movement 

 of ours, or hovering' over-head within the distance 

 of a few 3"ards. They are the Milvago cmstralisy a 

 bird of which the sexes differ so much in appear- 

 ance, that they were pointed out to me as distinct 



