CONDOR. All 
the eagle drives them to a distance till he is satisfied, and 
only permits them to enjoy the fragments of the prey he has 
couquered. With the same expectation of feeding upon the 
leavings, they attend upon the ferocious quadrupeds of the 
ceat-kind, and may thus indicate the vicinity of these danger- 
ous beasts. That it is cowardice which prevents them from 
attacking animals capable of making any defence is evident. 
The innate cruelty of their disposition is often manifested 
towards the helpless. To a deserted lamb they show no 
mercy, and living serpents and whatever other minor animals 
they can overpower are their usual food. They are also, it is 
said, extremely fond of crocodiles’ and alligators’ eges, to 
obtain which they keep watch unseen in the adjacent forest 
while the female is laying, and as soon as she is gone descend, 
and removing the sand where they are buried, greedily devour 
them. 
The vultures are mostly found in warm climates, although 
by no means afraid of cold, as they prefer the vicinity of lofty 
mountains ; those which inhabit in the north retiring south- 
ward in winter in the northern hemisphere. ‘Their favourite 
abodes are rocks and caverns among broken precipices, where 
they retire to sleep and to digest their meals when overfed, 
which happens as often as an opportunity offers: in such re- 
treats they may be often observed in great numbers together, 
enjoying the exhilarating air of the morning. Their nest is 
made, with hardly any preparation, on inaccessible cliffs or 
other places where they can seldom be found by man. ‘They 
reside generally where they breed, seldom coming down into 
the plains, except when frost and snow have driven all living 
things from the heights: they are then compelled to brave 
danger in pursuit of food. The vultures generally lay but 
two eges at a time, sometimes three or four, especially the 
North American species; and are faithfully monogamous. 
In their mode of supplying their young with food, there is a 
striking difference between them and other rapacious birds. 
The latter place before their progeny the quivering limbs of 
