.Mr. .1. < Mtuii 11)1 tlir ('ontfor.s nf tin' Kijuntorlid A nil' s. Is7 



also seen uM loiidors with cnrbiimli's on llic ImiuI (uliicli 

 art' said t<» conu' tVuiii a^r aloiu'), and Ijlack Itt-aks, and llic 

 body ln-n\vn or ash-colonrcd all over." Honapaite, in his 

 * Anioric-an Ornithology,' gives a earetul drawing of a young 

 male, with a erest and with white ])atehes on its wings — 

 both tV-atim-s wanting in the brown, l.ientenant (rilliss de- 

 elart's, as the resnlt of his observations on the Chilian Andes, 

 that the brown kind is a different speeies. Fnrther j»roof is 

 wanted; but it is quite jtroljabje tiiat anothrr speeies must be 

 atkled to the genus tSarcnramjtlms. 



The ordinary habitat of the royal eondor is between the 

 altitudes of 10,000 and 1G,000 feet. The largest seem to 

 nuike their home around the volcano of Cayambi, wliieh stands 

 e.xaetly on the e([uator. In the rainy season they frequently 

 descend to the coast, where they may be seen roosting on trees ; 

 on the mountains they very rarely jjereh (for which their feet 

 are poorly iitted), but stand on rocks. They are most com- 

 monly seen around vertical cliffs, where tlieir nests are and 

 where cattle are most likely to fall. Great numbers frequent 

 Antisana, where there is a great cattle-estate. Flocks are 

 lu'ver seen exee})t around a large carcass. It is often seen 

 singly, soaring at a great height in vast circles. Its flight is 

 slow and majestic. Its head is constantly in motion as if in 

 search of food below ; its mouth is kept open and its tail 

 spread. To rise from the ground, it must needs i*un for some 

 distance, then it flaps its wings three or four times and ascends 

 at a low angle till it reaches a considerable elevation, when it 

 seems to make a few leisurely strokes, as if to ease its wings, 

 after which it literally sails upon the air. In walking, tlie 

 wings trail on the ground, and the head takes a crouching 

 position. It has a very awkw^ard, almost painful gait. From 

 its inability to rise without running, a narrow pen is sufficient 

 to imprison it. Though a camon-bird, it breathes the purest 

 air, spending much of its time soaring three miles above the 

 sea. Humboldt saw one fly over Chimborazo. We have 

 seen them sailing at least a thousand feet above the crater of 

 Pichincha*. 



Its gormandizing power has hardly been overstated. We 

 have known a single condor, not of the largest size, to make 

 away in one week with a calf, a sheep, and a dog. It prefers 

 carrion, but will sometimes attack live sheep, deer, dogs, ttc. 

 The eye and tongue are favourite parts and first devoured, 

 next the intestines. We never heard of one authenticated 

 case of its carrying oif children, nor of its attacking adults 



* Oue of the peaks of Pichincha is called in the Inca language cuntur 

 (/uachaua, or " condor's nest." 



