THE CONDOR OF THE ANDES. 613 



Bear of Canada, on the contrary, is the least ferocious and least car- 

 nivorous of his genus. His chief food is of a vegetable nature 

 grain, fruits, and roots but he does not disdain an occasional regale 

 of pork. He commits great depredations on the maize-fields, and is 

 also exceedingly partial to honey. From the nature of his food, his 

 flesh is exceedingly succulent, and much relished by the Canadian 

 settlers. 



Ascend the wildest and most barren mountains, even to the limit 

 where all life ceases to exist ; or the flank of a perpendicular rock, in 

 a crevasse, in some chink or fissure where the foot of man or quadru- 

 ped may never rest ; and there, were you able to approach sufficiently 

 near, you would see some interlaced branches and stems, and within 

 it a few fragments, a few gnawed and polished bones, while a strong 

 odour scented the surrounding air. Regard it more attentively 

 some tiny creatures are astir upon that unclean couch. Yes : your 

 gaze now rests on the eyry of one of those aerial tyrants, Eagles or 

 Vultures, which alone can dwell on the cloud-crowned, wind-swept 

 heights. I must confine myself here to mentioning the largest and 

 most formidable species, which surpasses all the others in sweep and 

 speed and power of flight the Condor of the Andes. This bird 

 possesses the habits and voracity of other vultures, and, as if con- 

 scious of his enormous strength, shows himself the most audacious. 

 He frequently pounces upon living animals ; but his non-retractile 

 talons, blunted by their attrition upon the rocks, do not permit him 

 to carry off his prey ; he contents himself with fixing it against the 

 ground with one of his claws, while he rends it to pieces with his 

 powerful beak. Gorged with food, he becomes incapable of flight. 

 You may then approach him ; but should you attempt to seize him, 

 he opposes a desperate resistance, and as he enjoys an extraordinary 

 tenacity of life, the victory will probably cause you a prolonged 

 struggle and many cruel wounds. 



A story is told of a Chili miner, of more than ordinary physical 

 force, who attacked hand-to-hand, as it were a condor while 

 digesting his greedy banquet, and unable to make his escape. The 



