ORDER ACCIPITRES. 185 



intestines. When the condors have thus satiated themselves, 

 they are too heavy to fly, and the Indians pursue and take 

 them with faciUty. The bird is said, under these circumstances, 

 to make tremendous efforts to elevate itself in the air. Scarcely 

 has it succeeded in so doing, than it begins to vomit most 

 abundantly. In such efforts the condor contracts and elongates 

 the neck, and approaches its talons to its beak. This motion, 

 purely accidental, has given rise to a report that the condor 

 makes use of its claws to assist the operation of vomiting ; but 

 it seems by no means likely that it could even touch the throat 

 slightly with the claw. The condors thus taken alive by the 

 Indians are subjected to the most cruel torments. 



At Riobamba, it is said that the natives put poisonous plants 

 into the belly of the animal used as a bait, which produces an 

 effect on the condor similar to that of intoxication. 



The condor, when taken alive, is melancholy and timid for 

 the first hour, but soon after grows extremely mischievous. 

 M. de Humboldt had a living female in the yard of his house 

 at Quito for eight days. Fear had rendered her so savage, that 

 it was quite dangerous to approach her. 



The condor appears to have more tenacity of life than any 

 other bird of prey. M. de Humboldt was present at certain 

 experiments on the life of a condor at Riobamba. They 

 first attempted to strangle it with a noose. They hung it 

 to a tree, and dragged the legs with great force for many 

 minutes : but scarcely was the noose removed, than the 

 condor began to walk about as if nothing had been the 

 matter. Three pistol- balls were then discharged at him, within 

 less than four paces distance. They all entered the body. He 

 was wounded in the neck, chest, and belly, but still remained 

 on his feet. A fifth ball struck against the femur, and rebound- 

 ing, fell back on the ground. This ball was for a long time 

 preserved by M. Bonpland. The condor did not die for 

 half an hour after of the numerous wounds which it had 

 received. Ulloa informs us, that in the cold region of Peru 



Vol. VI. O 



