io6 
N'ATURAL history. 
Sir Hans Sloane fays, one was fliot by Cap- 
tain Strong, not far from Mocha, an iflancl in 
the South Seas, on the coaft of Chili, as it 
was fitting on a cliff by the fea fide. The 
wings, when extended, meafnred, from each 
extremity, fixteen feet. One of the feathers, 
which is now in the Britifh Miifeum, is two 
feet four inches in length, one inch and a half 
in circumference, and weighed three drachms, 
leventeen grains and a half 
According to Garcilafio de la Vaga, feve- 
ral have been killed by the Spaniards, which 
in general meafured fifteeen or fixteen feet 
from wing to wing. To prevent the too 
fatal exercife of their fiercenefs, nature has 
denied them fuch talons as the eagle. They' 
have only claws, which arc as harmlefs as 
thofe of the hen. ''I’licir beaks are, howev'er, 
firong enough to tear off the hide, and pene- 
ti ate the bow'els of an ox. '^I'wo of them 
will attack and devour a cow or a bull ; and 
it has often happened that boys of ten years of 
age have fallen a prey to them. The inhabi- 
tants of Chili are, therefore in continual dread 
left their children fliould be devoured in their 
ablence. In order to allure them, theyexpofc 
the form of a cliild, madeof a very gluttonous 
clay, on which they dart with fuch rapidity, 
and penetrate fo deeply wdth their beaks, that 
they cannot difengage themfelves. The Indi- 
ans affert, that they willfeiic and bear aloft a 
deer, or a young calf, as eafily as eagles do a 
hare or a rabbit. 
Nature 
