Journey through Colombia and Ecuador. 223 
yellow. Iris blackish grey; legs and feet clirome-yellow. 
Local name "Curiquingui/^ 
-/-519. PoLYBORUs CHERIWAY (Jacq.). 
A male from Corazon, at about 12,000 feet. Scarce. The 
bare skin on the face is dark red. 
Earn. Cathartid^. 
520. Sarcorhamphus gryphus (Linn.). 
Condors were first seen by us at the village of Purace, in 
the Central Cordillera of Colombia, above Popayan. They 
were looked upon by the natives there as rare birds, and to 
shoot one was considered a grand triumph. We saw the same 
pair in the neighbourhood for more than a week, but we could 
not get the chance of a shot at them. These were all that 
we saw until we reached Pasto, but from thence southwards 
we met with them in increasing numbers at high elevations. 
When staying at Quito in November, we arranged for a visit 
to Pichincha, on purpose to shoot some of these Vultures. 
We went provided with a tent and all necessaries for a stay 
of four days. We also bought an old mare to kill, as we had 
been told that the Condors had a partiality for such food. 
At that time, not knowing the country nor the habits of the 
birds, we did not choose so advantageous a spot as we might 
have done, for the Indians led us to an open, and what after- 
wards proved to be a very exposed, sloping valley, between 
the old and the present crater, at an altitude of about 15,000 
feet. We put up our tent in a heavy snowstorm, and then 
the Indians left us, with the exception of one, promising to 
come back for us in four days. We shot the old mare on 
the brink of a "quebrada^^ about 300 yards from the tent, 
and then awaited results. Our first night proved how badly 
we were located. Apart from the cold, which was intense, 
the wind blew almost a hurricane, and it seemed as if our 
tent would be carried completely away. We were relieved 
when daylight dawned and we were able to strengthen it. 
The uncanny feeling produced by the tremblings and subter- 
ranean noises vanished as the sun rose behind the Eastern 
Andes, lighting up in succession the snowy- heads of the 
