Condor 



207 



As might be expected, it is of great size, measuring about four and one half by 

 two and one half inches, and holding some nine fluid ounces of water. Only 

 about twenty of these eggs are said to be preserved in collections, a far less 

 number than is known of the long extinct Great Auk. At a recent meeting of 

 the American Ornithologists' Union (November, 1906), Mr. William L. Finley pre- 

 sented a paper, illustrated by a superb series of photographs, in which he re- 

 counted the life history of a California Condor from the moment of leaving the 

 egg until the bird was practically full grown. At first, the parent birds were 

 very shy, but repeated visits to the nest (a cave in the precipitous wall of a canyon) 

 for the purpose of photographing the young bird so tamed them that they per- 



FlG. 70. Condor, Sarcorhamphus gryphus. 



mitted themselves to be "taken" by the camera at a distance of only five or six 

 feet, displaying not the least concern. Many curious anecdotes of this bird were 

 related, such as its fondness for bathing and for human society, its rejection of 

 any food but fresh beef, its method of trying its wings, etc. This bird, named 

 the General, is now in the New York Zoological Park. 



The Condor (Sarcorhamphus gryphus} has usually been regarded as the 

 largest of the birds of prey, but it is closely approached in size, if not indeed 

 exceeded, by the California Vulture. Its length, according to Darwin, is about 

 forty-eight inches, but it doubtless somewhat exceeds this, while the expanse 

 of wings is variously given as from nine to twelve feet, with the probability of 

 its rarely reaching ten feet. In color the male Condor is glossy black, with an 

 ashy white bar across each wing. The base of the neck is surrounded by a 

 large collar or ruff of snow-white down, above which is the bare portion covered 

 with a wrinkled, dull red skin. "The forehead has a fleshy or cartilaginous 

 comb or caruncle, the throat is wattled, and there is a large, pendulous wattle 



