508 NATURAL HISTORY. 



cousins. At other times they maybe seen perched upon some tree, or circling 

 with that apparently magical motion high in the air. Round and round 

 they go, far above the earth, their wings never beating as do those of the 

 black vulture ; and all the time they are keeping a sharp lookout for the 

 good things of earth. Such an eye as they have ! When the bird is near at 

 hand, one notices nothing strange in it ; but suspended half a mile above 

 the earth, nothing escapes it. The smallest striped snake winding its way 

 through the grass, or perhaps across the beaten road, is quickly seen. 



Still larger is the California vulture, one of the largest birds of this 

 continent. It is much like its cousins of the east. 



In tropical America, are two species which must not be omitted : these 

 are the king-vulture, which lives in the forests of South America ; and the 

 still more celebrated condor of the Andes, about which many wonderful 

 stories — stories more wonderful than true — are told. This latter species 

 is often said to be the largest bird in existence, and some of the tales of its 

 size would make it a rival of the roc of Marco Polo, if not of the bird of 

 the same name which plays such an important part in the pages of the 

 ' Thousand and One Nights.' So, too, it is said to carry off children, sheep, 

 and the like to its nest in the highest peaks of the mountains. Look for a 

 moment at our picture of the condor, and consider the character of its 

 feet. The claws are short and nearly straight, and have nothing of the 

 character of the curved talons of those birds of prey which are accustomed 

 to carry heavy weights in their feet. Then, next listen to the facts about 

 the size of the birds. With the exception of a doubtful statement by von 

 Tschudi, no condor when brought to that surest test of size, the measuring- 

 tape, has been found to exceed twelve feet in expanse of wing ; and even 

 von Tschudi's specimen spread only fourteen feet and ten inches. Does it 

 now seem probable that a bird so small as this could carry off a sheep or 

 a child ? 



These stories, however, remain to be explained. First as to size. 

 Doubtless the transparency of the air, and the absence of any known 

 •objects for the purpose of comparison in the treeless regions, have led to 

 exaggeration in this respect, and Humboldt found that birds which actu- 

 ally measured less than four feet from the tip of the beak to the end of the 

 tail, appeared of enormous size when seen at a distance perched upon 

 some rock. The stories of their rapacity are to be explained in only one 

 way. Some traveler who wished to make a good story, took -whole 

 cloth ' for the purpose. 



All of fhese vultures are carrion-feeding birds ; but, contrary to the 

 oft-repeated statement that they feed on this alone, they are fond of fresh 

 meat as well; and they will frequently kill small animals for the sake of 



