THE CONDOR. 85 



was six inches and three quarters, and an inch 

 and a half in circumference. 



We have a still more circumstantial account of 

 this amazing bird, by P. Feuillee, the only travel- 

 ler who has accurately described it : " In the 

 valley of Illo in Peru I discovered a condor, 

 perched on a high rock before me : I approached 

 within gun-shot, and fired ; but as my piece was 

 only charged with swan-shot, the lead was not 

 able sufficiently to pierce the bird's feathers. I 

 perceived, however, by its manner of flying, that 

 it was wounded ; and it was with a good deal of 

 difficulty that it flew to another rock, about five 

 hundred yards distant, on the sea-shore. I there- 

 fore charged again with ball, and hit the bird 

 under the throat, which made it mine. I accord- 

 ingly ran up to seize it ; but even in death it was 

 terrible, and defended itself upon its back, with 

 its claws extended against me, so that I scarcely 

 knew how to lay hold of it. Had it not been 

 mortally wounded, I should have found it no 

 easy matter to take it ; but I at last dragged it 

 down from the rock, and with the assistance of 

 one of the seamen, I carried it to my tent, to 

 make a coloured drawing. 



" The wings of this bird, which I measured very 

 exactly, were twelve feet three inches (English) 

 from tip to tip. The great feathers, that were of 

 a beautiful shining black, were two feet four 

 inches long. The thickness of the beak was pro- 

 portionable to the rest of the body ; the length 

 about four inches j the point hooked downwards, 

 and white at its extremity ; and the other part 



