Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-13
characteristics Of the Condor.

PROFESSOR James Orton's paper at the
Troy meeting of the Association for the
Advancement of Science, contained the
following interesting account OF this won.
derful bird: "Fifty years have elapsed
since the first specimen reached Europe,
yet to-day the exaggerated stories OF its
strength and size are repeated In most OF
our text books, and the very latest orni-
theological work leaves us In no doubt 80 to
its relation to the other vultures. No one
credits the assertion Of the old geograph-
or, Marco Polo, that the condor can lift
an elephant from the ground high enough
to kill 1t by the fall nor the story Of the
traveller, 90 late AZ 1880, who declared tha.
condor Of moderate size, just killed, was
lying before him, single quill feather OF
which was twenty PAGES long. Yet the
statement continues TO be published that
the ordinary expsnse Of full grown con-
dor Is from fifteen to twenty feet, whereas
it Is very doubtful If II ever exceeds or
even equals twelve feet. have full
grown male from the most celebrated To-
cality in the Andes, and the stretch OF it,
wings Is nine feet Humboldt never found
one TO measure over nine feet; and the
largest specimen which Darwin ever saw
was 81 feet from tip to tip. An old male
in the Geological Gardens OF London
measures II feet. II Ia not yet settled that
this greatest of unclean birds Is generally
distinct from other vultures. Its usual
habitation Is between the attitudes OF TO-
600 TO 10000 feet The largest seem to
make their home around the volcano Of
CayaMbi, which stands exactly on tho
equator. They are most commonly seen
around vertical cliffs, perhaps because
their nests are there; and because cattle
are likely to fall there. Flocks are never
seen except around large carcass. 1t Ia
often seen singly soaring at q great height
In vast circles. Its flight IL slow. It
never flaps Its wings In the air,
but It's head IL always In motion,
as IL in search of food below. Its mouth
IL kept open and its tail spread. To
rise from the ground 1t must need run for
some distance then 1t flaps It's wings
three times and scars away. A narrow
pen Ii therefore sufficient to imprison It.
In walking the wings trail on the ground
and the head takes q crouching position.
Though q carrion bird II breathes the pur-
est air, spending much Of Its time soaring
three miles over the sea. Humboldt saw
one fly over Chimborazo. have seen
them sailing at least 1000 feet above tho
crater of Pichincha. Its gormandixing
power has hardly been overstated. have
known q single condor, not Of the largest
size, TO make away In one week with .
calf, sheep, and dog. II prefers car
RON, but Will sometimes attack live sheep,
deer, dogs, &c. The eyes and tongue OF .
CARCASS are the favOrite parts, and drst do
voured; next the intestines. I never
heard On authenticated case Of IT, carry
ing of children, nor Of it, attacking adults,
except In defence Of its eggs In captivi-
" Il will eat everything except pork and
fried or boiled meat. When full fed, It II
exceedingly stupid, and can be caught BY
the hand but ct other times It ID match
for the stoutest man. II passes the great
er part OF the day sleeping, searching tor
prey In the morning and evening. II u
seldom shot Though It Ia not invulneTable,
a. once thought, but 10 generally caught
in traps. The only noise 1t makes u . hiss
like that Of Q goose-the usual trsch0A
muscles being wanting. II lays two
white eggs on an inaccessible ledge.
It makes no most proper, but places
f0w sticks around the eggA By
no amount Of bribery could tempt IN
Indian TO search for the c0ndor's eggs,
and Mr.. Smith, who hunted nearly twelve
years In the Quito Valley, was never able
TO get sight Of one. Incubation occupies
about seven weeks, ending In April or
May, Tin Patagonia much earlier, Of about
February