CON 
CON 
hairs or cords, lodged under the (kin. When the 
{km is rubbed with honey in a bath, or any warm 
place, thefe vermin will make their appearance; 
but, when it is contrafted by cold, they keep con- 
cealed v>^ithin.' 
COMPITA. A name by which fome natura- 
lifts have called the colymbus major, or fifanelle, 
the great Venetian diver. 
CONCHA. A genus of bivalve fhells, con- 
taining a tethys. This genus, which is very com- 
prehenfive, includes the oyfter, chama, mufcle, 
heart-lhell, peften, folen, &c. 
CONCHA FORTIFICATA. A name given 
by fome authors to the genus of lliells called mu- 
rex by others. 
CONCHA GLOBOSA. A large genus of 
fhells called dolium by the generality of au- 
thors. 
CONCHA SPECTRORUM. A fpecies of 
voluta, fo called from fome ftrange figures deli- 
neated on it's furface, reprefenting caricaturas of ter- 
rible phantoms. It is a very elegant fhell, and of a 
moderate fize; the ground is white ; and the figures, 
which are reddifli, form three large and broad 
bands, which furround the fhell at top and bottom, 
and in the centre; and between thefe there are fe- 
veral feries of fmall fpots. This fliell is very rarely 
met with, and highly efteemed. 
CONCHA VENERIS. A name expreffive 
of feveral fpecies of the chama. The fliell is 
univalve and wreathed, and has a fmall longitu- 
dinal and denticulated chink or aperture. It is 
alfo called Concha Porcellana, from it's aperture's 
refembling in fome meafure the mouth of a hog; 
and Concha Erythrjea, from it's being found in 
the Red Sea, near Erythraum. It appears that 
the ancients ufed the inclofed fifii by v/ay of ali- 
ment; and Mundius afferts, that it poffefTes a pro- 
vocative quality. The fliell itfelf, pulverized, has 
been deemed efficacious in feveral complaints; but 
apothecaries generally fubflitute cockles in it's 
(lead, which are imagined to po{refs nearly the 
fame fpecific virtues. 
CONCHA- ANOMI^. A genus of Ihell- 
fifli principally found in a folTil ftatc. See Ano- 
Mi/F. Concha. 
CONCHiE MARGARITIFER^. An ap- 
pellation fometimes given to the mytuli, which 
produce pearls. See Muscle. 
CONDOMA. An anoinalous creature of the 
goat kind, fo called by Buffon. It is fuppofed to 
be eoual in fize to the largefi: ftag, but has hollow 
horns like thofe of the goat clafs, with varied 
flexures refembling thofe of the antelope: thefe 
are above three feet long; and, at their extremities, 
about two feet afunder. Along the back of the 
animal there runs a white lift, which terminates at 
the infertion of the tail ; and another of the fame 
colour croffes this lift at the bottom of the neck, 
which it entirely furrounds. Two m.ore rings of 
the fame kind encircle the body; one behind the 
fore-legs, and the other running parallel to it be- 
fore the hinder. The colour of the reft of the 
body is greyifl:!, except the belly, which is white. 
The creature has alfo a long greybeard; and it's 
legs, though long, are v/eil proportioned. 
CONDOR. "Naturalifts are divided in their 
opinions, whether this vaft bird, v/hich is a native 
of South America, fhould be referred to the eagle 
or the vulture tribe. It's aftonifhing ftrength and 
rapacity might naturally enough plead for it's rank- 
ing among the former 3 but the baldnefs of it's 
head and neck might alfo be conceived to fink if 
to the latter. It is evident, however, that if mao--. 
nitude and ftrength, combined with rapidity of 
flight and rapacity of difpofltion, deferve pre-emi- 
nence, no bird in the world can be placed in com- 
petition with the Condor. Itpoflefies, in a much 
greater degree than the eagle, all tliofe qualities 
which render it formidable, not only to the fea- 
thered kind, but alfo to quadrupeds, and even to 
man. Several authors aflfert, that the expanfion of 
the wings of this creature is eighteen feet. The 
beak is fo ftrong as to pierce through the body of 
a COW; and two of thefe birds will finifh an ox at 
a Angle repaft. The Condor is by no means ter- 
rified at the approach of any of the human form : 
however, through the benignity of Providence^ 
there are but few of the fpecies ; for, were they at all 
numerous, every order of animals would probably 
wage an unfuccefsfjl conteft againft them. The 
Indians afllrre us, that one of thefe enormous birds 
will carry oft' a deer, or a young calf, in it's talons, 
with the fame facility that an eagle does a hare or 
a rabbit ; that their fight is very piercing, and 
their appearance terrible; that as they require a 
very large fpace for the extenfion of their wings, 
they feldom frequent forefts; but that they are- 
much attached to the fea-fhore, and the banks 
of rivers, whither they defcend from their aerial 
nefts on the fammits of the higheft mountains. 
The moft modern accounts, however, inform 
us, that thefe formidable birds frequent the fea- 
coafts only at certain feafons, namely, when their 
prey happens to fail them on the land; and riiat 
diey then feed on dead fifli, and fuch other nu- 
tritious fubftances as the waves iiappen to throw 
on the beach. 
Condamine has frequently obferved thefe birds 
in feveral parts of the mountains of Quito, in Spa- 
nifli America, hovering over a flock of flieep, and 
probably meditating their deftruflion. Indeed, 
the Spaniards are ever apprehcnfive left thefe ra- 
pacious animals fliould prey on their children ; and 
it is faid that the Americans frequently hold out 
to one or other of them, as a lure, the figure of a 
child, compofed of a very glutinous clay; on 
which it defcends with exceflive rapidity, and 
ftrikes it's pounces fo deeply into it, .that it be- 
comes imm.ediately entangled. 
Mr. Steary, (the m.after of a fhip) as he navi- 
gated the coafts of Chili, in tliirty-tliree degrees of 
fouth latitude, obferved one of thefe birds fitting 
on a high clilF near the fliore, which fome of the 
fhip's company fliot at with a ball, and killed. 
It's wings, when extended, meafured fixteen feet; 
and one of the feathers, which was prefented by 
the captain to Sir Hans Sloane, and is depofited 
in the Britifti Mufeum, meafures two feet four 
inches in length ; and, in the largeft part, is an 
inch and a half in circum.fei-enee. 
The only circumftantial account, however, of 
this amazing bird, is given us by P. Feuillce, who 
defcrlbes it in the following accurate manner. ' In 
the valley of Ilo, in Peru, I difcovered a Condor, 
perched on a high rock before me : I approached 
within mufquet-fliot, and fired; but as my piece 
was only charged with i'wan-fliot, the lead was not 
able fufficiently to penetrate the bird's feathers. I 
perceived, however, by it's manner of flying, that it 
was wounded*", and it was v/ith apparent difficulty 
that it reached another rock, about five hundred 
vards diftant, on the fea-fliore. I therefore charged 
again v/ith ball, and hit the bird under the throat, 
which 
