294 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



Humboldt, when travelling in the Andes, had reached a 

 certain cave, close on 13,000 feet above the sea-level. 

 Looking up, he saw a Condor soaring nearly 7,000 feet 

 above him. Almost as wonderful, is the fact that this 

 bird is able to bear the change from the fearful cold of 

 that altitude of 20,000 feet to the warm, dense air of the 

 sea-coast, to which it will descend in one tremendous 

 dive. 



On some unreachable ledge of those steep cliflfs is the 

 Condor's nursery. Nest there is none. Two large, white 

 eggs are laid there, in November or December. Darwin 

 was told that the young birds are not able to fly for the 

 first year, and that for long after they are in the habit 

 of roosting there by night, and going abroad with their 

 parents during the day. 



"The old birds usually live in pairs," he says, "but 

 among the inland, basalt cliffs of the Santa Cruz, I found 

 a spot where scores must usually haunt. On coming 

 suddenly to the brow of the precipice, it was a grand sight 

 to see between twenty and thirty of these great birds 

 start heavily from their resting-place and wheel away in 

 majestic circles. 



"The Condors may oftentimes be seen at a great 

 height, soaring over a certain spot in the most graceful 

 circles. On some occasions I am sure that they do this 

 only for pleasure. But, on others, the Chileno country- 

 man tells you that they are watching a dying animal or 

 the puma devouring its prey. If the Condors glide down, 

 and then suddenly all rise together, the Chileno knows 

 that it is the puma, which, watching the carcass, has 

 sprung out to drive away the robbers. Besides feeding on 

 carrion, the Condors frequently attack young goats and 

 lambs ; and the shepherd dogs are trained, whenever they 



