42 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Surprising strength, size, &c. 



and I believe that if it had not been mortally 

 wounded, I should have found great difficulty in 

 securing it. At Jast I dragged it down from the 

 top of the rock; and, with the assistance of a 

 sailor, carried it away to my teat. 



" The wings of this bird, which I measured 

 Very exactly, were twelve feet three inches (Eng- 

 lish) 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 proportionable to the rest of the body ; the 

 length about four inches; the point hooked 

 downwards, ajid white at the extremity ; and the 

 other part was of a jet black. A short down, of 

 a brown colour, covered the head ; the eyes were 

 black, and surrounded with a circle of reddish 

 blown. The feathers on the breast, neck, and 

 wings, were of a light brown : those on the back 

 rather darker. Its thighs were covered with 

 brown feathers to the knee. The thigh bone 

 was ten inches long, the leg five inches, the toes 

 were three before and one behind ; that behind 

 w as an inch and an half, and the claw with which 

 it was armed, was black, and three quarters of 

 an inch. The other claws were in the same pro- 

 portion ; and the leg was covered with black 

 scales, as also the toes; but in these the scale* 

 were larger. 



" These birds usually keep in the mountain^ 

 where they find their prey; they never descend 



