ORDER ACCIPITRES. 183 



sure, might prove injurious to the health of the animal. The 

 condor prefers a temperatm-e of two or three degrees above 

 congelation. It often remains, to be sure, for many hours in 

 the hot vallies, where the centigrade thermometer rises to 30°. 

 Still, there would be every reason to apprehend that the constant 

 heat it would experience in the isthmus of Panama, in the 

 province of Jaen de Bracamorros, or in the river Madeleina, 

 from Honda to Carthagena, would cause its destruction. 



Among the birds of prey, as with the insects, the female is 

 generally larger than the male. This difference, however, is 

 not very sensible in the condors, though there is variety enough 

 in the magnitude of different individuals of both sexes. Inha- 

 biting solitary situations, and having no other enemy but man, 

 who does not greatly occupy himself in destroying it, it appears 

 not unlikely that the condor attains an advanced age. They 

 do not, however, multiply greatly. While the vultur aura is 

 observed in numerous bands of forty or fifty at a time, more 

 than five or six condors are never seen together. Of all the 

 rapacious birds, however, of America, the vultur papa seems 

 the least numerous. 



M. de Humboldt was assured that the condor builds no 

 nest ; that it deposits its eggs on the naked rock, without sur- 

 rounding them with straw or leaves. The eggs are said to be 

 altogether white, and from three to four inches in length. It 

 is also reported that the female remains with the little ones for 

 the space of an entire year. When the condor descends into 

 the plains, it prefers alighting on the grovmd to perching in the 

 trees, like the vultur aura. The talons of the condor are very 

 straight ; and it is a remark of Aristotle, that birds of prey with 

 very crooked talons are not fond of settling upon stones or 

 rocks. 



The habits of the condor are similar to those of the laem- 

 mergeyer. If it is not larger than the latter, it appears to 

 be superior in strength and audacity. Two condors will dart 

 upon the deer of the Andes, upon the puma, the vicunna, and 



