THE VULTURE. 115 



which appeared to be gorged, rose up, and flew about fifty 

 yards off, when it alighted, and he rode up to it, and then 

 jumping down, seized the bird by the neck. The contest was 

 severe ; and never probably was such a battle seen before, as a 

 Cornish miner and a Condor- The man declared he never 

 had had such a trial of strength in his life ; that he put his 

 knee upon the bird's breast, and tried with all his might to 

 twist its neck, but that the Condor, objecting to this, struggled 

 most violently, and he fully expected that several others 

 which were flying over his head would take part against 

 him, and assist their companion. At length, however, he 

 succeeded, as he supposed, and carrying off the pinion-quills 

 in triumph, left the bird for dead ; but so tenacious are they 

 of life, and so difficult to kill, that another horseman who 

 passed the spot some time after found it still living and 

 struggling. 



Figure i. Figure 2. 



Feeding, as Vultures do, on carrion, plunging their beaks 

 into putrid masses of decayed flesh, were they covered with 

 feathers, like Eagles and Hawks, about their heads and necks, 

 they would soon become clotted with gore, and be an encum- 

 brance to the bird ; accordingly the head and lower part of 

 the neck, in all the tribe, are more or less covered either with 

 down or wattles, or the skin is left almost naked, as in the 

 accompanying figure (2). 



As may be well conceived from the nature of their food, 

 these birds are very disgusting in various ways, much more so 

 than we can form an idea of from seeing them when kept in 



