564 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



bobbing its head. Although the Carranchas frequently assemble in num- 

 bers, they are not gregarious ; for in desert places they may be seen sol- 

 itary, or more commonly by pairs. Besides the carrion of large animals, 

 these birds frequent the borders of streams and the sea-beach, for the sake 

 of picking up whatever the waters may cast on the shore. In Tierra del 

 Fuego, and on the west coast of Patagonia, they live almost exclusively 

 on this last means of supply. 



"The Carranchas are said to be very crafty, and to steal great numbers 

 of eggs ; they attempt, also, together with the Chimango, to pick the scabs 

 off the sore backs of both horses and mules. On the one hand, the poor 

 animal, with its ears down and its back arched and, on the other, the 

 hovering bird, eyeing at the distance of a yard, the disgusting morsel, form 

 a picture which has been described by Captain Head with his own peculiar 

 spirit and accuracy. The Carranchas kill wounded animals ; but Mr. Bynoe 

 (the surgeon of the Beagle) saw one seize in the air a live partridge, which, 

 however, escaped, and was for some time chased on the ground. I 

 believe this circumstance is very unusual : at all events there is no doubt 

 that the chief part of their sustenance is derived from carrion. A person 

 will discover their necrophagous habits by walking out on one of the deso- 

 late plains, and there lying down to sleep ; when he awakes, he will see 

 on each surrounding hillock, one of these birds patiently watching him with 

 an evil eye. It is a feature of the landscape of these countries which will 

 be recognized by every one who has wandered over them. If a party goes 

 out hunting with dogs and horses, it will be accompanied during the day 

 by several of these attendants. The uncovered craw of the Carrancha, 

 after feeding, protrudes from its breast; at such times it is, and indeed 

 generally, an inactive, tame and cowardly bird. Its flight is generally 

 heavy and slow, like that of the English carrion crow, whose place it so 

 well supplies in America. It seldom soars ; but I have twice seen one at 

 a great height gliding through the air with much ease. It runs (in contra- 

 distinction to hoppin^;^), but not quite so quickly as some of its congeners. 

 At times the Carrancha is noisy, but is not generally so ; its cry is loud, 

 very harsh and peculiar, and may be compared to the sound of the Spanish 

 guttural g, followed by a rough double rr. Perhaps the Spaniards of 

 Buenos Ayres, from this cause, have called it Carrancha. Molina, who 

 says it is called Tharu in Chile, states, that when uttering its cry, it ele- 

 vates its head higher and higher, till at last, with its beak wide open, the 



