CON 
CON 
which made it mine. I accordingly ran up to 
feize it; but even in death it was terrible, and de- 
Tended itfelf on it's back, with it's claws extended 
againft me, fo that I cotild fcarcely devife the 
means of feizing it with fecurity. Had it not 
been mortally wounded, I might have found this 
a dangerous enterprize; but having at laft drag- 
ged it down from the rock, widi the affiftance of a 
Teaman, I carried it to my tent, to make a co- 
loured drawing. 
* The wings of this bird, which I meafured very 
cxadlly, were twelve feet three inches Engiifh from 
tip to tip. The great feathers were about two feet 
four inches long, of a beautiful fhining black co- 
lour. The thicknefs of the beak was proportion- 
able to the reft of the body; the length about four 
inches ; the point hooked downwards, and white at 
it's extremity, but in every other part black as jet. 
A fhort brown -coloured down covered the head ; 
the eyes were black, and furrounded with a circle 
of reddifli brown. The feathers on the neck, 
breaft, and wings, were of a lighu brown; and thofe 
on the back rather darker. The thighs were co- 
vered with brown feathers down to the knee ; the 
thigh-bone was ten inches long; the leg five inches : 
the toes were three before, and one behind ; that 
behind was an inch and a half long, and the claw 
with which it was armed was black, and occupied 
one half of the length. The other claws were in 
the fame proportion ; and both the legs and toes 
were covered with black fcales; but in the laft 
the fcales were larger. 
* Thefe birds ufually keep in the mountains, 
where they find their prey ; they never defcend to 
the fea-fl-iore but in the rainy feafon ; for as they are 
very fenfible of cold, they retire there for addi- 
tional warmth. Though thefe mountains they in- 
habit are fituated in the torrid zone, tire cold is often 
extremely fevere, and they are covered with fnow 
during a great part of the year. 
* The fmall quantity of nourifliment which thefe 
birds find on the fca-coaft, except vWien the tem- 
peft drives in fome great fifh, obliges them to con- 
tinue there but a ftiort time. They ufually reach 
the coaft at the approach of evening, ftay there 
during the night, and retire to the m.ountains in 
the morning.' 
Som.e authors are of opinion that the Condor is 
not confined to America only; and conjefture that 
the great bird called the roc, defcribed by Ara- 
bian writers, and fo much exaggerated by fable, is 
but a Ipecies of the Condor. The great bird of 
Tarnaflar, in the Eaft Indies, which is faid to be 
larger than the eagle, as well as the vulture of Se- 
negal, which carries oiT children, are probably the 
fame with the bird juft defcribed. The inhabi- 
tants of Ruffia, Lapland, and even Switzerland and 
Germany, are faid to have known this animal. A 
bird of this kind v/as fhot in France, which was faid 
to meafure eighteen feet acrofs the wings; however, 
as one of the quills was defcribed as being only 
fomewhat larger than that of the fwan, the extent of 
the wings muft certainly have been exaggerated, 
fince a bird of fuch enormous magnitude would 
undoubtedly have been furniflied with quills of a 
much fuperior fize. Be this as it may, we have 
no reafon to regret that the Condor is fcarcely ever 
feen in Europe, as it appears to be one of the moft 
formidable enemies of the human race. Acrofs 
the defarts of Pachomac, which it chiefly frequents, 
travellers very rarely venture: thofe gloomy re- 
gions are of themfelves fufficient to infpire a degree 
of fecret horror, exhibiting to view only broker! 
precipices, prowling panthers, forefts only vocal 
with the hiffing of ferpents, and ftupendous moun- 
tains rendered ftill more terrible by the Condor, 
the only bird that adventures to take up it's refi- 
dence in thofe unfrequented climes. 
CONEPATE, or CONEPATL. An Ame- 
rican animal, of which Euffon makes two fpecies, 
viz. the Conepate, and the zorille; but as they are 
both faid to refemble the pole-cat in fhape, and to 
be cloathed with long fur of a black and white 
colour, the diftindtion feems unmarked in nature. 
The Conepate has five white ftripes on a black 
ground, running longitudinally from the head to 
the tail. The zorille is rather more diftinftly co- 
loured, it's black and white colours being more 
bright ; and it's tail black at it's infertion, and white 
at it's extremity. But whatever variations there 
may be either in the figure or colour of thefe little 
animals, they all agree in one common affeftion, 
that of being intolerably fcetid and loathfome. All 
animals of the weafel kind are furniflied with glands 
near the anus, from which exfudes an odorous mat- 
ter; in fome fpecies yielding a grateful perfume, 
as in the genet and civet; but, in others, a moft 
noifome and offenfive ftench, as in the pole-cat and 
the animal now under confideration. In the Cone- 
pate thefe glands are very large, and furnifh a mat- 
ter fublimed to an amazing degree of putrefcence. 
It is well known that a fingle grain of mufk will 
diffufe it's fcent over a whole houfe, which will 
continue for feveral months without much dimi- 
nution; but the pertlime of civet is infignificant 
when compared with the ftrength, duration, and 
infupportable odour, of this animal. It is ufually 
voided with it's ordure; and, if a fingle drop hap- 
pens to touch any part of a perfon's drefs, it is al- 
moft impoffible to wear it any longer. 
This animal, we are informed, ejefts it's excre- 
ments in order to fa ve itfelf from it's purfuers; but 
it is highly probable that this ejeftion is only the 
convulfive effe6t of terror, and that it ferves to 
defend it without any voluntary adl of it's own. 
Certain it is, that it never emits this horrid fmell 
except when enraged or aftrighted ; for it is often 
kept tame about the habitations of the American 
planters, without any fenfation of offence. In a 
ftate of nature, it frequently fteals into farm,-yards, 
and dcfiroys the poultry for the fake of their brains; 
but it is not prudent either to offend or purfue it 
onfijch occafions, as it then calls forth ail it's fcents, 
and no human being can pofTibly approach it. If, 
however, dogs venture to purfue this animal, it en- 
deavours to efcape by climbing up a tree; but, if 
driven to exti-emity, it difcharges it's intolerable 
excrements againft the hunters, though at a confi- 
derable diftance; and, fliould a fingle particle of 
this ordure force itfelf into the eye, the injured per- 
fon would run the greateft rifle of lofing his fight 
for ever. Even the dogs themfelves lofe much of 
their ardour when they find this extraordinary bat- 
tery played off againft them; they inftantly turn 
from the purfuit, and leave the animal the undif- 
puted mafter of the field ; nor can any commands 
induce them to rally. ' In 1749,' fays Kalm, ' one 
of thefe animals came into the farm where I lived. 
It was in winter time, during the night; and the 
dogs which were on the watch, purfued it for fome 
tiiTie, till it difcharged it's excrements againft' them. 
Though I v/as in bed a confiderable way off, I 
thought I fhould have been fuffocated; and the 
cows and oxen, by their lowings, teftified how 
3 B much 
