THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 69 



rious ; they do not soar, and their flight is heavy and clumsy ; 

 on the ground they run extremely fast, very much like 

 pheasants. They are noisy, uttering several harsh cries, one 

 of which is like that of the English rook; hence the sealers 

 always call them rooks. It is a curious circumstance that, 

 when crying out, they throw their heads upwards and back- 

 wards, after the same manner as the Carrancha. They build 

 in the rocky cliffs of the sea-coast, but only on the small 

 adjoining islets, and not on the two main islands: this is a 

 singular precaution in so tame and fearless a bird. The seal- 

 ers say that the flesh of these birds, when cooked, is quite 

 white, and very good eating; but bold must the man be who 

 attempts such a meal. 



We have now only to mention the turkey-buzzard (Vultur 

 aura), and the Gallinazo. The former is found wherever 

 the country is moderately damp, from Cape Horn to North 

 America. Differently from the Polyborus Brasiliensis and 

 Chimango, it has found its way to the Falkland Islands. The 

 turkey-buzzard is a solitary bird, or at most goes in pairs. It 

 may at once be recognised from a long distance, by its lofty, 

 soaring, and most elegant flight. It is well known to be a 

 true carrion-feeder. On the west coast of Patagonia, among 

 the thickly-wooded islets and broken land, it lives exclusively 

 on what the sea throws up, and on the carcasses of dead 

 seals. Wherever these animals are congregated on the rocks, 

 there the vultures may be seen. The Gallinazo (Cathartes 

 atratus) has a different range from the last species, as it 

 never occurs southward of lat. 41. Azara states that there 

 exists a tradition that these birds, at the time of the conquest, 

 were not found near Monte Video, but that they subsequently 

 followed the inhabitants from more northern districts. At 

 the present day they are numerous in the valley of the Colo- 

 rado, which is three hundred miles due south of Monte 

 Video. It seems probable that this additional migration has 

 happened since the time of Azara. The Gallinazo generally 

 prefers a humid climate, or rather the neighbourhood of 

 fresh water; hence it is extremely abundant in Brazil and 

 La Plata, while it is never found on the desert and arid 

 plains of Northern Patagonia, excepting near some stream. 

 These birds frequent the whole Pampas to the foot of the 



BC 



