222 The Falcon-like Birds 



and spots of darker shades. Both male and female take part in the duties of 

 incubation. 



The Carancho (P. tharus] is a closely allied species found from Brazil and 

 Amazonia throughout South America to the Straits of Magellan, being especially 

 abundant in Argentina, where its habits have been extensively observed by 

 Mr. Hudson, whom we have so frequently quoted. This species, while a carrion 

 eater to some extent, appears to indulge in this diet only when it is unable to 

 secure fresh meat, of which it is "amazingly fond." Like its relative it also feeds 

 on a variety of things, such as frogs, lizards, and insects, but it is apparently more 

 given to capturing birds and small mammals. It is frequently mobbed by the 

 Lapwings, of which it usually takes little notice, but occasionally it apparently 

 loses patience, and singling out a particular individual it gives chase, and no 

 matter how the Lapwing turns or dodges the Hawk is close behind and in a few 

 moments it is seized and borne screaming away. They are very quick to detect 

 injured or ailing birds or mammals and several will often combine in an attack 

 on such an one, but not infrequently they may single out an uninjured bird and 

 "fly" it down. Mr. Hudson graphically describes such an attack on a White 

 Egret by four Caranchos. These birds had alighted near a stream in which were 

 numerous Gulls and Glossy Ibises and a solitary White Egret. "Presently one 

 of them sprung into the air and made a dash at the birds in the water, and 

 instantly all the birds in the place rose into the air screaming loudly, two young 

 brown Caranchos only remaining on the ground. For a few moments I was in 

 ignorance of the meaning of all this turmoil, when suddenly out of the confused 

 black and white cloud of birds the Egret appeared, mounting vertically upward 

 with vigorous measured strokes. A moment later and first one and then the 

 other Carancho also emerged from the cloud, evidently pursuing the Egret, 

 and only then the two brown birds sprung into the air and joined in the chase. 

 For some minutes I watched the four birds toiling upward with a wild zigzag 

 flight, while the Egret, still rising vertically, seemed to leave them hopelessly 

 far behind. But before long they reached and passed it, and each bird as he did 

 so would turn and rush downward, striking at the Egret with his claws, and while 

 one descended the others were rising, bird following bird with the greatest 

 regularity. In this way they continued toiling upward until the^Egret appeared 

 a mere white speck in the sky, about which the four hateful black spots were 

 still revolving. I had noticed them from the first with the greatest excitement, 

 and now began to fear that they would pass from sight and leave me in ignorance 

 of the result ; but at length they began to descend, and then it looked as if the 

 Egret had lost all hope, for it was dropping very rapidly, while the four birds were 

 all close to it, striking at it every three or four seconds. The descent for the last 

 half of the distance was exceedingly rapid, and the birds would have come down 

 almost at the very spot they started from, which was about forty yards from where 

 I stood, but the Egret was driven aside, and sloping rapidly down struck the 

 earth at a distance of two hundred and fifty yards from the starting-point. 

 Scarcely had it struck the ground before the hungry quartette were tearing it 

 with their beaks." 



