ACCIPITRES. 245 



seizing those which are in health and vigour, thus 

 representing the Hyenas and Jackals. Like them, 

 however, they sometimes attack living animals, and, 

 being of large size, many of them are formidable 

 assailants. They fly at a great height, hovering in 

 the air, or sailing slowly along in great circles, 

 until they discover a carcass, when, trooping to- 

 wards it from all quarters of the sky, they gorge 

 themselves with the putrid banquet, until they have 

 scarcely power to move. Audubon's experiments 

 seem satisfactorily to have proved, that the discovery 

 of prey is owing to their acuteness of sight, and 

 not at all to that of smell, as had been universally 

 supposed. 



The Condor of the Andes (Sarcoramphus* Gryphus) 

 is the largest of the tribe, though its size has been 

 very much exaggerated. The expanded wings oc- 

 casionally, but rarely, measure fourteen feet, and the 

 length of the body is about three feet and a half. 

 It belongs to a division marked by the possession 

 of fleshy caruncles or prominences on the cere, some- 

 what like those of the Turkey-cock, and sometimes 

 tinged with brilliant colours. When pressed by 

 hunger, the Condor descends from its lofty mountain 

 peaks to attack the lamas, or the calves in the pas- 

 tures, and two of them will even succeed in de- 

 stroying a cow ; but carrion is its favourite repast. 

 Indeed, the whole tribe may be considered as the 

 scavengers of the warmer climates, where putres- 

 cence follows so soon after death ; and, because of 



sarx, flesh, and peip,<pos, rkamphos, a beak. 



