VULTUR. 



to be more than tweive feet when Bieafured immediately after 

 it was fliot." 



The back of the bird has been erroneoufly defcribed as 

 white, whereas it is coal-black ; an error evidently owing to 

 the bird's having been feen with the wings clofed over the 

 back, fo that the white fecondaries covered it from view. 

 Gmehn copied this error from Molina, and thus Mr. 

 Latham was raided. In their defcriptions, the tail is faid 

 to be fmall, which, on the contrary, is rather large in pro- 

 portion to the bird. The fuppofed female had not the 

 I«aft appearance of a comb on the head, which, with fome 

 other particulars, inclined Dr. Shaw to conclude that it was 

 either a young bird or a female. The extent of its wings 

 from tip to tip was not far ihort of lo feet. Another of 

 thefe birds, mentioned in the i8th volume of the Phil. Tranf. 

 and (hot in Chili, had wings which extended more than i6 

 feet. The beak of the fore-mentioned female was of a dark 

 lead colour, becoming gradually whitifh towards the tip. 

 The head and neck were deftitute of feathers, but covered 

 with a Ihort draggling fort of hairy down ; the top of the 

 head inclined to a dark colour, but the reft of the neck was 

 paler, and probably in the living bird of a reddith colour. 

 Towards the lower part of the neck, where it joins to the 

 Ihoulders, was a ruff or circle of wliite downy feathers ; and 

 beneath the breall a confiderable bare fpace : the reft of the 

 bird was black, except the (horter or fecondary wing-lca- 

 thcrs, which were white with black tips ; the legs and feet 

 were blackilh, very ftrong, but the claws not much iiicut- 

 vatcd : the tail even at the end, and very (lightly rounded 

 at the fides. On comparing the remiges or wing-feathers 

 of tliis bird with fome of thofe which were brought over by 

 Mr. Byron as thofe of the real condor. Dr. Shaw found 

 them to be exaftly fimilar, except in fize. From an examin- 

 ation of thefe fpecimcns. Dr. S. concluded that the phy- 

 fiognomy of this bold and formidable vulture is not of a fe- 

 rocious caft, but rather exhibiting an appearance almolt bor- 

 dering on mildnefs. M. Humboldt makes fome dedudtion 

 for the alleged fize of this bird, as he had feen none which 

 exceeded 3 feet 5 inches in length, and 8 feet 9 inches in 

 extent from the end of one wing to that of the other. He 

 admits, however, that the condor may fometimcs be fuppofed 

 to arrive at a much greater magnitude, and to meafure in 

 extent of wings 11 or 12 feet. Its ufual refidence, as he 

 informs us, is among lofty rocks in tl\e region of the Andes, 

 juft below the boundaries of perpetual fnow, and it may be 

 confidered as a co-inhabitant with the gnanaco. 



Nothing can exceed the fagacity with which tiie condor 

 perceives the fcent of its prey at a diitance, or the boldncfs 

 witi> wincli it flies down to feize it. It preys both on dead 

 and living animals, and two birds will feize on a heifer, and 

 begin their work of deftruftion by picking the eyes and 

 tearing the tongue out. 



A method of taking condors alive is often praftifcd in 

 Peru and Quito, and is as follows : — A cow or horfe is 

 killed ; and in a little time the fcent of the carcafe attrafts 

 the condors, which are fuddenly feen in numbers in places 

 where no one would fuppofe they exifted. They always 

 begin with the eyes and tongue, and then proceed to devour 

 the inteftines. Sec. When they are well fated, they are too 

 heavy and indolent to fly, and the Indians take them eafily 

 with noofes. When thus taken alive, the condor is dull and 

 timid for tlie firft hour, and then becomes extremely fero- 

 cious. M. Humboldt had one in his pofreflion for fome 

 days, which it was dangerous to approach. The condor is 

 extremely tenacious of life, and will lurvivc for a long time 

 fuch wounds as might be fuppofed lo prove immediately 

 fatal ; and fuch is the fnlncfs of its plumage, th^t it has the 



power of refiiling or repelling the force of a ball fired at it 

 from a gun. Tliis indeed is not peculiar to the condor, but 

 has been obferved in fome other well-feathered and thick- 

 fkinned birds, particularly thofe of the order Anferes. 



Bengalensis, the Brown Vulture. With the head and 

 neck naked before, and faintly chcfnut-colour ; the bill 

 lead colour, with black tip ; or brown vulture, paler beneath, 

 with the head and neck covered by fnfcous down ; the 

 lower part encircled by a brown ruff. This is the Bengal 

 vulture of Latham, two feet fix inches in length ; bill and 

 legs dullcy black, and crop hanging over the breaft, as is the 

 cafe in many others of the vulture tribe. It is a native of 

 Bengal. 



Papa, Vulture. With carunculated noftrils, and naked 

 Grown and neck ; or whitifh-rufefcent vulture, with naked 

 variegated head and neck ; noftrils furnifhed with a loofe 

 orange-coloured caruncle, and neck with a grey ruff. This 

 is the cozcaquauhtli of Hernand. Mex., king of the vul- 

 tures of Edwards, and exceeds every other fpecies in the 

 elegance of its appearance, about the fize of a hen turkey, 

 and of alight-reddidi brown or bufl' colour, with black wings 

 and tail, accompanied with a glofs of green, the edges of 

 the wing-feathers being of a whitifh call ; the under parts 

 of the body are white, with a flight caft of yellow ; the legs 

 and feet pale ilefh-colour ; but what conftitutes the pecuhar 

 ornament of the bird is tlie vivid colouring of the head and 

 neck, which are bare of feathers. This beautiful fpecies is 

 a native of many parts of South America, and is alfo found 

 in the Weft Indies : it feeds on carrion, like the reft of the 

 tribe, and occafionally preys on feveral of the fmaller ani- 

 mals, as lizards, &c. 



MoNACHUS, Monk Vulture. With gibbous crown, and 

 black body ; or brown vulture, with lengthened ruff, and 

 downy occipital creft. This is the crcfted black vulture of 

 Edwards ; the cinereous or Arabian vulture of Latham ; 

 and vautour, or grand vautour of Buffon. This bird is an 

 inhabitant of the deferts of Arabia, and is faid to be not un- 

 common in the Pyrenean mountains. 



Aura, the Brown-grcylfh Vulture. With black wing- 

 feathers, and white bill ; or blackifh vulture, with purple 

 and green reflexions, and red, naked, papillated and wrinkled 

 head and neck. This is the tzepilotl of Hernandez ; the 

 uruba, &c. of Willughby and Marcgrave ; the gallinazo 

 of Ulloa ; the turkey-buzzard of Catefby ; and the carrion- 

 crow of Sloane ; the carrion-vulture of Pennant and Latham ; 

 and vautour de Brafil of Buffon, Some fay that there are 

 two diftinft fpecies, riz. the V. aura, which is'of a blackifh- 

 brown, and the V. uruba, which is entirely black, the biU, 

 head, and neck excepted, which latter is moft prevalent in 

 South America. Gmelin mentions a variety, black, with 

 brown wing-feathers, and cinereous bill. This fpecies, with 

 fome variations, appears to be generally difTufed over the 

 whole continent of South America, but moftly in the 

 warmer regions. In fome parts of Britifh America it is 

 popularly called the turkey -buzzard, and in other parts 

 carrion-crow. It is fomcwhat fmaller than a turkey ; it 

 feeds on every kind of animal matter, and is highly eftccmcd 

 in the Weft Indies on account of its aftivity in clearing 

 away fubftances that might otherwife render the air noxious 

 in thofe warm climates. In confequence of this mode of 

 life, the birds thomfelves have always a very oflenfive odour. 

 According to Mr. Pennant, thefe hirds are common from 

 Nova Scotia to Terra del Fuego, and though they are mif- 

 chievous in attacking and dcilroying cattle in a weak or 

 difealed ftate, they are beneficial in Icfliening the number of 

 alligators, which would otherwife become intoUrablc by 

 their multitudes. 



4 H 2 ClNEREL'S, 



