6 VULTURE. 



Molina, in his History of Chili, observes, that the female is 

 somewhat smaller than the male, brown in colour, having no ruff 

 round the neck, but a small crest at the nape. He sajs, they make 

 the nest among- the most inaccessible rocks, and lay two white eggs— 

 tliat they feed on dead carcases — and there being no wolves in Chili, 

 these birds supply the place of them, often flying in flocks, and 

 preying on sheep and goats, and even young calves, if straying too 

 far from their dams, first plucking out the eyes, and afterwards tear- 

 ing them to pieces. On this account the country people use various 

 stratagems to take or destroy such fierce enemies, for, when glutted 

 with food, and unable to rise freely, they attack them with clubs, and 

 easily subdue them ; they are, however, in general, sufficiently active, 

 and known to the iidiabitants by the name of 3Ianque. 



This author adds, that the largest seen by him had an extent of 

 wing exceeding fourteen feet, and supposes it to be the same as the 

 Laemmergeyer of Europe ; but Ave belie^'e that, liowever similar 

 they may be in manners, these two birds are distinct from each other 

 as species. 



The account given by jM. Humboldt greatly coincides Avith what 

 is said above, but observes, that he has not met with any specimen 

 beyond three feet seven inches in length, and eight feet nine inches in 

 breadth, though he admits they may sometimes exceed these dimen- 

 sions ;* and adds, that the colour is not always black, but for 

 the most part raven grey. 



The young bird is covered, for several months, Avith a deep thick 

 down, so full as to enlarge the appearance to the size of a full-groAvn 

 bird. At first the plumage is tawny brown, not arriving at the 

 black colour till after two years. 



In December, 1809, a bird was exhibited in Piccadilly, alive, 

 and called a Condur : it approached in size to that bird, but was 

 unifonnlv of a brown and duskv colour, without the least ti-ace of 



* In another place he talks of the dimensions being eleven feet. 



