ORDER ACCIPITRES. 167 



grows very pointed : the head and neck, almost to the stomach, 

 are naked, where the feathers begin to cover the skin ; they 

 are gradually elongated, forming a ruff, in which the bird, by 

 contracting the neck, can even cover the head. The naked 

 skin of the neck is spotted, wrinkled, and of a lively yellow, 

 mixed with a coral red. The lower part is almost covered 

 with thick and short hairs, and the skin of this part is of a deep 

 purple, which clears and grows red in approaching the yellow 

 of the sides and front. The crown of the head is red ; some 

 appendages of an orange-red are on the base of the upper 

 mandible. The plumage is usually white, but the quills, and 

 two or three rows of the coverts, of a beautiful deep-brown ; 

 the tail is large and white, tipt with dark brown or black ; the 

 legs and feet are of a clear white ; the eye is surrounded with 

 a gold-coloured iris ; the pupil is black. The Creek Indians 

 make their royal standard with the feathers of this bird, to 

 which they give a name signifying eagle's tail. They carry 

 this standard to battle, but then paint a band of red between 

 the brown spots. In negociations, and other pacific affairs, they 

 carry it new, clean, and Avhite. This standard is held sacred 

 by them, and very elegantly ornamented. These birds seldom 

 appear in Florida ; but, when the grass of the plains is burnt up, 

 which often happens, either from lightning, or the Indians set- 

 ting it on fire to rouse up the game, then these vultures come 

 from a considerable distance in great multitudes, and descend 

 upon the plains, still covered with ashes, to pick up the ser- 

 pents, frogs, toads, &c., which have been scorched to death. 

 They are very easily killed at this time, being so intent on 

 their repast that they will brave every danger. 



We now come to one of the most celebrated species of the 

 vulture tribe, and, indeed, of all the accipitres, the far-famed 

 and formidable Condor. For the substance of our description 

 we must be indebted to that most eminent naturalist, philoso- 

 pher, and traveller, ths Baron de Humboldt, a name Avhich can 

 only perish with the extinction of science, of letters, and of 

 civilization itself 



