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 
