THE CONDOR OF AMERICA. 209 



Miuler mandible, which prevents it from taking any 

 food. Its longevity is not, however, more remarkable 

 than its power of supporting long abstinence. An 

 eagle, in the possession of Mr. O. Holland, remained, 

 thiough the carelessness of servants, the space of 

 twenty-one davs without any kind of sustenance- 

 But even this is less extraordinary than an instance 

 related by M. Button, who was assm;ed, by a person 

 of veracity, that one or' these birds being caught in a 

 fox trap, "lived five weeks without any kind of ali- 

 ment. It shewed no symptoms of languor till the 

 last eight days; and it -was at last killed in order to 

 terminate its sufferings. When circumstances of this 

 kind happen accidentally, they are worthy of re- 

 mark; but to ascertain by experiment how much 

 any animal is able to suiier, would be shocking to 

 humanity. 



I have been a little particular in describing the ha- 

 bits and propensities of this chief of the feathered na- 

 tions; but that I may not encroach too much on your 

 time, I shall endeavour to compensate my prolixity 

 on this interesting subject, by consulting brevity in 

 some of less importance. However, I was sure that 

 you would be pleased to see a just delineation of a 

 bird which has furnished poets and moralists with so 

 many and so beautiful allusions, and which so strik- 

 ingly shews what powers the Great Creator can be- 

 stow on different orders of animal existence. 



THE, CONDOR OF AMERICA 



is universally allowed to be the largest of all the 

 birds that are endowed with the power of flight; and 

 it also possesses in the highest degree all the qualities 

 that can render it formidable. The wings, when ex- 

 tended, reach eighteen teet from one extremity to the 

 other. Its beak is so strong as to pierce the "hide of 

 any horned cattle; and it is said that two of these 

 birds is able to devour an ox. When stimulated by 

 hunger, the condor does not hesitate to attack man- 

 kind; but fortunately there are noi many of the spe- 

 cies; if they were numerous their depredations would 

 be dreadful. The Indians assert, that this rapacious. 



