188 Mr. J. Orton on the Condors of the Equatorial Andes. 



except in defence of its eggs. Yon Tscliudi says it cannot 

 cany, when flying, a weight of over ten pounds. In captivity, 

 it will eat every thing except pork and cooked meat. When 

 full-fed, it is exceedingly stupid and may be caught by the 

 hand ; but at other times it is a match for the stoutest man. 

 It passes the greater part of the day sleeping, more often 

 searching for prey moniing and evening than at noon — ver}' 

 likely because objects are then more distinctly seen. 



It is seldom shot (though it is not invulnerable as once 

 thought), but is generally trapped or lassoed. Prescott, in his 

 ' Conquest of Peru,' vol. i. p. 384, speaks of " the great bird 

 of the Andes — the loathsome condor, who, sailing high above 

 the clouds, followed with doleful cries in the track of the army." 

 But the only noise it makes is a hiss like that of a goose. 

 The usual tracheal muscles are wanting. 



It lays two white eggs, three or four inches long, on an in- 

 accessible ledge. It makes no nest proper, but places a few 

 sticks round the eggs. By no amount of bribery could we 

 tempt an Indian to search for condors' eggs ; and Mr. Smith, 

 who had hunted many years in the valley of Quito, was never 

 able to get sight of an egg. Incubation occupies about seven 

 weeks, ending April or May*. The young are scarcely 

 covered with a dirty white down, and they are not able to fly 

 till nearly two years. D'Orbigny says they take wing in 

 about a month and a half after being hatched — a manifest 

 error. They are as downy as goslings until they nearly equal 

 in size a full-grown bird. Darwin was told they could 

 not fly for a whole year. The white frill at the base of the 

 neck and the white feathers in the wings do not appear until 

 the second plumage, or until after the tirst general moulting, 

 during which time they lie in the caves, and are fed by their 

 elders for at least six months. Previously to this the frill is of 

 a deep grey colour (Gilliss says, " light blue-black ") and the 

 wing-feathers brown. 



The head, neck, and front of the breast arc bare, iiulicatlve 

 of its propensity to feed on carrion. The head is elongated, 

 and much flattened above. The neck is oi' unusual size, and 

 in the male the skin lies in folds. The nostrils are oval and 

 longitudinal; but in the male they are not so much exposed as 

 in the other sex, since the caruncle forms an arch over them. 

 The olfactories, however, seem to be well develo})ed. Yet the 

 condor, though it has neither the smelling-]iowers of the dog 

 (as proved by Darwin) nor the bright eye of the eagle, some- 

 how distinguishes a carcass afar ofl'. The colour of the eye 



* In Patagonia, ncconiiny: t<i Darwin, nincli oarlif r. or about February. 



