82 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



It is not often, however, that the Carancho ventures 

 singly to attack adult and vigorous birds, except 

 the Tinamu, the " Partridge " of South America ; 

 they prey by preference on the young and ailing, 

 on small lambs and pigs left at a distance by their 

 dams ; and they also frequently attack and kill 

 old and weakly sheep. Where anything is wrong 

 with bird or beast they are very quick to detect it, 

 and will follow a sportsman to pick up the wounded 

 birds, intelligently keeping at a safe distance them- 

 selves, I once shot a Flamingo in the grey stage of 

 plumage and had some trouble to cross the stream, 

 on the opposite side of which the bird, wounded 

 very slightly, was rapidly stalking away. In three or 

 four minutes I was over and found my Flamingo 

 endeavouring to defend itself against the assaults of 

 a Carancho which had marked it for its own, and 

 was striking it on the neck and breast in the most 

 vigorous and determined way, sometimes from above, 

 at other times alighting on the ground before it and 

 springing up to strike like a game-cock, A spot of 

 blood on the plumage of the wounded bird, which 

 had only one wing slightly damaged, had been 

 sufficient to call down the attack ; for to the Carancho 

 a spot of blood, a drooping wing, or any irregularity 

 in the gait, quickly tells its tale. 



When several of these birds combine they are very 

 bold. A friend told me that while voyaging on the 

 Parana river a Black-necked Swan flew past him 

 hotly pursued by three Caranchos; and I also wit- 

 nessed an attack by four birds on a widely different 



