AVES CATHARTID^. 537 



"If I had lost my first guanacos, killed in Patagonia, I had at any rate 

 gained at first hand some very useful knowledge concerning the habits of 

 the carranchas, those scavengers of this part of the southern hemisphere ; 

 and since the carcasses were no longer of value as natural history speci- 

 mens, I resolved to see what more of interest they would be the means of 

 teaching me concerning the habits of these or other birds or mammals. 

 Repairing to a thicket of calafate bushes that grew on the margin of the 

 bed of shingle, where I could watch without attracting attention, I took a 

 comfortable position in order to observe the drama which was being enacted 

 on this bed of shingle, in the first act of which I had been one of the prin- 

 cipal participants, though now reduced to the rank of a spectator. What 

 an animated scene was transferred suddenly as if by magic to this spot, 

 which under ordinary circumstances is quite destitute of either animal or 

 vegetable life. Carranchas gathered about in great numbers, while sev- 

 eral white and grey gulls also appeared upon the scene. Many a spirited 

 contest was waged between the various aspirants for the more desirable 

 portions. Suddenly there was on all sides a scurrying, as these birds lit- 

 erally tumbled over one another in their haste to get away, and looking 

 up I saw a male condor come sailing down. His powerful wings were 

 fully extended, giving a total expanse of not less than nine feet. The 

 long primaries were motionless, seemed separated from one another by an 

 interval of about an inch, and were so distinct that I could without diffi- 

 culty have counted the series as he soared by. The pure white of his 

 shoulders and the delicate ruff was intensified by the deep black of the 

 back and under-body, while the iridescence of the neck and comb were 

 faintly distinguishable. He sailed straight as an arrow to the nearest 

 carcass of the two guanacos, and on reaching a point directly over and a 

 few feet above the dead animal, the limbs were dropped suddenly down- 

 ward to their full length, there was a slight quivering motion, better 

 described perhaps as tremor of the wings, and the great bird settled 

 slowly downwards until the feet came in contact with the carcass, when 

 the wings were stretched slowly to their greatest expanse and then carefully 

 and slowly closed upon the sides. After alighting in this somewhat delib- 

 erate manner, a moment was given to a survey of the immediate surround- 

 ings, either for the purpose of detecting an enemy, or perhaps to confer 

 most gracious recognition upon those other members of the feathered 

 tribe who had at his approach by common accdrd moved off and now stood 



