CARRION BIRDS. 107 



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

 when in a moment the beast was drao-o-ed over on 



Co 



one side and firmly moored. Leaving- the horses to 

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

 iron ring- 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, quickl}^ 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- altogether sure that the lasso mig-ht 

 not break, — but, althoug-h no thicker than the little 

 fing-er, it is of immense strength, being- made of 

 plaited hide. This beast was secured and butchered 

 pretty 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 

 extricating- them. 



While slaughtering- the cattle it was amusing- to 

 notice the familiarity of the carrion hawks, hundreds 

 of which Avere collected about, perched upon the 

 little hillocks all round, watching- every movement 

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

 of a few yards. They are the Ililvago australis, a 

 bird of which the sexes differ so much in appear- 

 ance, that they were pointed out to me as distinct 



