10 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



animal dies in the plain, the Cathartes atratus or Gallinazo commences the feast, 

 and then these two carrion-feeding hawks pick the bones clean. Although 

 belonging to closely allied genera, and thus commonly feeding together, they are 

 far from being friends. When the Carrancha is quietly seated on the branch of a 

 tree, or on the ground, the Chimango often continues flying backwards and for- 

 wards for a long time, up and down in a semicircle, trying each time, at the bottom 

 of the curve, to strike its larger relative. The Carrancha takes little notice, except 

 by bobbing its head. Although the Carranchas frequently assemble in numbers, 

 they are not gregarious ; for in desert places they may be seen solitary, or more 

 commonly by pairs. Besides the carrion of large animals, these birds frequent 

 the borders of streams and the sea-beach, for the sake of picking up whatever the 

 waters may cast on shore. In Tierra del Fuego, and on the west coast of 

 Patagonia, they must live almost exclusively on this last means of supply. 



The Carranchas are said to be very crafty, and to steal great numbers of 

 eggs ; they attempt also, together with the Chimango, to pick the scabs off the 

 sore backs of both horses and mules. On the one hand, the poor animal, 

 with its ears down and its back arched ; and, on the other, the hovering bird, 

 eyeing at the distance of a yard, the disgusting morsel, form a picture which has 

 been described by Captain Head with his own peculiar spirit and accuracy. 

 The Carranchas kill wounded animals ; but Mr. Bynoe (the surgeon of the 

 Beagle) saw one seize in the air a live partridge, which, however, escaped, and 

 was for some time chased on the ground. I believe this circumstance is very 

 unusual : at all events there is no doubt that the chief part of their sustenance is 

 derived from carrion. A person will discover their necrophagous habits by 

 walking out on one of the desolate plains, and there lying down to sleep : when 

 he awakes, he will see on each surrounding hillock, one of these birds patiently 

 watching him with an evil eye. It is a feature in the landscape of these countries, 

 which will be recognised by every one who has wandered over them. If a party 

 goes out hunting with dogs and horses, it will be accompanied during the day, by 

 several of these attendants. The uncovered craw of the Carrancha, after feeding, 

 protrudes from its breast ; at such times it is, and indeed generally, an inactive, 

 tame, and cowardly bird. Its flight is generally heavy and slow, like that of the 

 English carrion crow, whose place it so well supplies in America. It seldom soars ; 

 but I have twice seen one at a great height gliding through the air with much 

 ease. It runs (in contradistinction to hopping), but not quite so quickly as some 

 of its congeners. At times the Carrancha is noisy, but is not generally so ; its 

 cry is loud, very harsh and peculiar, and may be compared to the sound of the 

 Spanish guttural g, followed by a rough double r r. Perhaps the Spaniards of 

 Buenos Ayres, from this cause, have called it Carrancha. Molina, who says it is 

 called Tharu in Chile, states, that when uttering this cry, it elevates its head 



