164 LECTURE V. 



The largest, and most extraordinary of all 

 the Vultures is the South- American species called 

 the Condor, so long celebrated as the largest of 

 all birds possessing the power of flight, and till 

 lately, so very indistinctly described in the works 

 of naturalists. It does not appear that a spe- 

 cimen of the Condor was ever seen in Europe 

 till about twelve or fifteen years ago, when a 

 female bird was brought over in a dried state 

 by Captain Middleton, and deposited in the Le- 

 verian Museum. About two years afterwards a 

 male, in the most perfect preservation, was ob- 

 tained, and placed in the same collection. It is 

 this latter specimen that has afforded the oppor- 

 tunity of giving a true description of the species, 

 which is distinguished by being of a black co- 

 lour, with the shorter or secondary wing-feathers 

 white j the head furnished with an upright, com- 

 pressed, fleshy crest or comb, the throat, to a 

 considerable distance down the breast, naked and 

 red, and the neck furnished, down each side, with 

 several short, circular wattles or flaps : round the 

 upper part of the neck, where it joins the back, 

 is a kind of ruff or tippet of milk-white, downy 

 feathers ; the wings are of vast extent, and when - 



