Vie eS ae, F af 
“& ‘NATURAL HISTORY: 
¥ 
it for fize, trength, rapacity, and fwiftnels of flights 
It is, therefore, more formidable than the eagle to 
birds, beafts, and even \to mankind. The rarity ef 
. this pernicious and deftructive bird, is another inflance 
of the great care of providence in proportioning thefe 
creatures, according to their utility or ferocious pro- 
penfity ; for, were the condour as prolific, or common 
as others of the feathered tribe, it would fpread um- 
verfal devaftation. ' 
Sir Hans Sloane fays, one=#=was. fhot by Captain 
Strong, not far from Mocha, an ifland in the South 
Seas, on the coaft of Chili, as it was fitting on,a chil’ 
by the fea fide... ‘The wings, when extended, meafur- 
ed, from each extremity, fixteen feet. One of the 
feathers, which is now in the Britifh: Mufeum, is two 
feet four inches.in length, one inch and @ half in eir- 
cumferenee, and weighed three drachms, feventeen 
grains and a half. : 
- According ‘to Garcilafio de la Vaga, feveral have 
been killed by the Spaniards, which in general inea-— 
fured fifteen er fixteen feet from wing to wing. To 
prevent the too fatal exercife cf their fiercéneis, na- 
ture has denied them fuch talons as the eagle. -Lhey 
have only claws, which are as harmlefs as thofe ef the 
hen. Their beaks are, however, ftrong enough to 
tear off the hide, and penetrate the bowels ofan ox. 
‘lwo of them will attack and devour a cow or a bull; 
and it has often happened that boysof ten years of age 
have fallen a prey tothem. ‘The inhabitants of Chili 
are, therefore, in contintial dread left their children 
fhould be devoured in their abfence. In order to al- 
lure them, they expefe the form of a child, made of a 
very glutinous clay, on which they dart with fuch ra- 
pidity, and penetrate fo deeply with their beaks, that 
they cannot difengage themfelves. The Indians al- 
fert, that they will feize and bear aloft a deer, ora 
young calf, as eafily as eagles do a hare or a rabbit. 
Nature apprifes every one of its approach, by cauf- 
ing it to make fo great a noife with its wings, as almoft — 
to occafion deafnefs. ‘Ihe body is as large as that of 
‘a fheep, and the fleth as difagreeable as carrion. Thus, 
man Jofes no food*from the providential {careity of - 
thisterrific and devouring creature. Forefts, not af- 
fording room for its fight, are newer 19 Reds ote 
4 ye ws ; , 5 “ . ’ 
7 ’ i . a ag = 

