4634 Birds. 



gives it immense strength and power in flight, and in attacking and 

 devouring its prey. 



Such is the description from nature of the Sarcoramphus Californi- 

 anus or condor of the Rocky Mountains and the North-west. 



This bird is closely allied to the condor of the Andes, but is totally 

 distinct in features and habits from the turkey buzzard, with which it 

 has been confounded, and which is rarely more than one -third its size. 

 It soars at elevations of from 6,000 to 16,000 feet, and is found 

 throughout the length and breadth of the Rocky Mountains of Cali- 

 fornia and the North-west coasts, and is sometimes seen near San 

 Francisco. It is particularly fond of fish, and is often found on the 

 sea-shore watching for fish thrown on the beach, or even steals them 

 from the Indians when catching salmon and mountain trout in the 

 lakes and rivers of the great plains of the coasts. A dead whale 

 thrown ashore is sure to bring some of them in sight, and a hunter 

 killing a deer in the mountains is confident of their appearance as 

 soon as the animal is wounded. They are also said to attack wounded 

 deer or other animals, and kill them, and sometimes to carry off alive 

 smaller creatures. They are also stated to carry off fish caught in 

 rivers, sea and lake shallows; and though they will eat dead meat, 

 they will not, like the turkey buzzard, eat carrion, — but this last wants 

 further confirmation. When hungry they are exceedingly difficult to 

 approach, but when gorged with food they are stupid, and fly or move 

 with slow unwieldy motions. They soar at great heights, in circles, 

 like the turkey buzzard, without moving their wings ; but on a straight 

 line they fly and sail by starts and flaps, at intervals of four or five 

 minutes. Its range of vision is probably as great as that of the 

 Andean condor, which is said to sight its objects at a greater distance 

 than any other living creature. 



The foregoing description will answer for the male bird, it being 

 generally larger, and the colour of its head, neck and body being of 

 rather brighter and deeper tint. The wfeite feathers of the under 

 wings are not so thick and numerous in the female as in the male. 



Since writing the above, a hunter has informed me that three years 

 ago he caught two young condors in the red woods of Santa Cruz 

 county, and kept them more than a month. When young they have a 

 strong smell, and are three months old before they fly. He added that 

 the female is smaller than the male, and this without doubt, as he has 

 often observed them. She lays two eggs in a year, which are hatched 

 in about six weeks, near the middle of March : the eggs weigh about 

 twelve ounces, and are better eating than any other eggs. They 



