82 HISTORY OF 



rain. According to Mr Bruce's description, this 

 bird, from wing to wing, was eight feet four 

 inches ; from the tip of his tail to the point of his 

 beak when dead, four feet seven inches. He 

 was remarkably short in the legs, being only four 

 inches from the joining of the foot to where the 

 leg joins the thigh, and from the joint of the 

 thigh to the joining of his body six inches. The 

 thickness of his thigh was little less than four 

 inches ; it was extremely muscular, and covered 

 with flesh. His middle claw was about two 

 inches and a hah long, not very sharp at the 

 point, but extremely strong. From the root of 

 the bill to the point was three inches and a quar- 

 ter, and one inch and three quarters in breadth 

 at the root. A forked brush of strong hair, 

 divided at the point into two, proceeded from 

 the cavity of his lower jaw at the beginning of 

 his throat. His eye was remarkably small in 

 proportion to his bulk, the aperture being scarce- 

 ly half an inch. The crown of his head was 

 bare or bald, as was also the front where the bill 

 and skull joined.] 



CHAPTER X. 



THE CONDOR OF AMERICA. 



WE might now come to speak of the vulture kind, 

 as they hold the next rank to the eagle ; but we 



