414 



AVES— CONDOR. 



ing effects, it is immediately in a condition to soar to such a pitch as, in 

 spite of its magnitude, to become invisible to human sight. 



In captivity, it appears to have no other desire, than that of obtaining its 

 regular supply of food. So long as that is afforded it, it manifests a perfect 

 indifference to the circumstances in which it is placed. 



THE CONDOR. 1 



That the vulgar opinion of the immense size and ferocity of this, the 

 largest of the American birds of prey, should have extended its influence over 

 the minds even of scientific zoologists, can scarcely be regarded as affording 



1 Cathartes gryphxis, Temminck. The ^enus Catharles has the beak lonsf, compress- 

 ed, straight, bent towards the point; cere naked, covering more than half the beak; upper 

 mandible turned towards the point ; head oblong, naked, as well as the upper part of the 

 neck; nostrils in the middle of the bill, near the ridge of the upper mandible, longitudi- 

 nally cleft, broad, sometimes surmounted by fleshy appendages ; legs with tarsus naked, 

 more or less slender ; middle toe long, and united to the exterior one at the base. 



