CONDOR. 329 



with the excrements, which the hird throws much forward, but they are 

 in fact of a fine blue horn color when washed clean, and these birds 

 seemed to be fond of washing themselves. 



The Condor is diffused over the continent of South America from the 

 Straits of Magellan, extending its range also to Mexico and California, 

 and the western territory of the United States beyond the Rocky 

 Mountains. It was not seen by Lewis and Clark until they had passed 

 the great falls of the Columbia, and it is by no means common or numer- 

 ous anywhere in the northern parts of America, those individuals that 

 have been observed here appear to have been stragglers from their 

 native country, which is no doubt South America. It might even be 

 limited to the great chain of the Andes, especially their most elevated 

 ranges, being plentiful in Quito, Peru, New Granada, and Antioquia, 

 and much more rare where they are less lofty, the Condor inhabiting 

 pretty nearly the same altitude with the Cinchonce and other subalpine 

 plants. It is moreover, according to the observations of Humboldt, the 

 invariable companion of the Gruanaco for an extent of nearly three 

 thousand miles of coast, after which this animal is no longer seen, but 

 the Condor continues to be met with much beyond this, as if quite indif- 

 ferent to climate, or because it can regulate it by varying its elevation 

 with the change of latitude. In the eastern or even southern United 

 States a Condor has never been seen, though the King Vulture of South 

 America has been occasionally observed. The chief abode of the Condor 

 is indeed on the highest summits of the Andes, some of which are 

 covered with perpetual snow, and is fixed by Humboldt at between three 

 thousand one hundred and four thousand nine hundred metres. Every 

 time, says he, that I have been herborizing near the limits of perpetual 

 snow, we were sure to be surrounded by Condors. These mountains 

 and the forests that clothe their sides are the Condor's home, and from 

 these their excursions are extended over the whole neighborhood to the 

 very sea, from which they may be often seen hovering at prodigious 

 heights and describing vast circles, but always ready to lower themselves . 

 by degrees whenever they espy a chance of satisfying their voracious 

 appetite. They are only known, however, to descend towards the sea- 

 shore during the rainy season, corresponding to our winter, when they 

 come in search of food and warmer weather : they then obtain the bodies 

 of large fishes or marine animals, such as Whales or Seals, and the 

 prospect of finding these is their principal attraction to the shore : they 

 arrive here at evening, and as a journey of several hundred miles 

 requires for them but little time or exertion, as soon as their meal is 

 digested, and they begin to feel lighter, they return to their favorite 

 rocks, often during the following day. They have sometimes been 

 killed at sea, floating on the dead body of a Whale which they were 

 tearing for food. They exhibit the common propensity of their tribe 



