18 LEAVES FROM THE 



evident complacency when the keeper took it out to feed 

 it on raw flesh, receiving it, after its meal, under her wings 

 with a comforting cluck. 



It is a well-known aphorism that the more perfect the 

 order of the animal is, the larger is the size of its offspring 

 when it first enters into life. Thus, as John Hunter 

 observes, a new-born quadruped is nearer to the size of 

 the parents than a bird just hatched, and a bird nearer 

 than a fish. Something may be, therefore, attributed to 

 the disproportioned bulk of the young condor ; but true 

 as the maxim is, it does not follow that the parent has 

 the power of distinguishing size. In birds such a power 

 probably does not exist ; for we know that the hedge- 

 sparrow and other small birds will go on feeding the 

 enormous young cuckoo till the poor benevolent dupes 

 are almost exhausted, before and after the intruder has 

 shouldered out their own eggs and little nestlings. 



The sight of the helpless young condor could not fail 

 to raise reflections in the most unobserving. There was 

 the comparatively minute form, which, if its life had been 

 spared, would have been developed to gigantic propor- 

 tions ; and that little, feeble, plumeless wing, was formed 

 to bear quill-feathers from two to three feet in length. 

 These noble quills are used as pens in the Cordillera ; and 

 in this country I have seen them transformed into floats 

 for the angler, of a size and finish to satisfy the most fas- 

 tidious dandy disciple of good honest Izaak Walton. 



Two other raptorial birds come into the group, though 

 one of them, the Calif ornian vulture, wants the caruncle 

 which distinguishes the condor. The other is the king 

 of the vultures.* The brilliant colours of the head and 

 neck of this last project it upon the notice of the visitor 

 who passes the place of its confinement ; and there is 



* Or, King Vulture — Sarcoramphus Fapa — Vultur Fapa, Linn. 



