, 1870-09-25
Chnrncterlstics OF the Condor.

Professor James Ostons paper at the Troy
meeting Of the Assc cia ton for tho Advance
teEssting account Of this wonderful bird
Fifty years have elapsed since the trst
trecimen reached Europe, get to-day the ex-
argc1ated stories OF its size and strength are
repeated tn most Of our text books, and the
very latest o1nithologlcal work aves
tse as IN obea doubt cultures, ss to its o9s gs'ea s9sa to
the assertion Of the old geograph-
er, Marco ranlo, that the condor can lift an
elephant from the ground high enough to
Ell it ty the fall nor the story Of the travel
Ter, 60 late IL 1880, who declared that con-
fore Linn. single quill feather Of Which was
tweaty paces long. Yet the statement con
tinues to be published that the ordinary
espanse Of 3 full grown condor
is from fifteen to !sen:: seet, whereas
it is very doubtful if It ever exceeds
or even equals twelve feet. I have full
grown male from the most celebrated locality
nine feet Humboldt never found ono to
measure over nine feet and the largest speci-
MIN which Darwin sav waa 81 feet from tip
to tip. An old ma1e In the geological gardens
Of Lt1don measures II feet. II is not yet
settled that this greatest Of unclesn birds
y generall7 distinct from the other vultufes,
.i,aaes ii Il S 1855 t. Gs,ssSh 1so fsst, sas
Tho largest seem TO make their home
around the volcano OF Cayambi. which
stands exactly on the eqoAtor- They are
moet commonly seen around vertical cIns,
perhaps because their nests are thete and
because cattle are likely to fall there. Flocks
are never seen except around q 1a.ge carcass.
It is often seen singlT soaring 1T = great
height IN vast circles. 1ts flight is allow, t
never flaps its wings IN the mir, but its head ia
always in motion Is il in search Of food below,
Its mouth is kept open aud its tail spread. To
nse from tho ground it must need rnn 10. some
distance: then it flaps its Hings three times
/ 1nd soats away. 1 narrow pen is therefore
sufficient to imprison it. In walking the wings
| tail on the ground and tie head takes
ctouching position. Though = csryion bird ii
bresshes the pu1est air. spending much Of its
time soaring three miles over the se8. Hum
81 en- them Ealing 1t least ], 600 feet above the
s7a:er Of F1ch.nchn- Its tsKo1nandizngpower has
hArdly been overstated. have known single
condor, not OF the largest size, to make way
IN ono week with n calf, = eheep. and ; dog.
It prefers ca1Eion, but will sometimes attack
topGUs Of a clcass are the fArosisa parts,
4 and dret devoured; ne1t, the intestlnes. 1
| nsver heard N authenticated caee OF its
carrying on children, nor OF it's At
lacking adults, except in defence Of ita
egss. II captlvity i WI eat evezytaing
| EACEpe EVlA A4A A44oA VI QluGu IQt1tv H0e1
full fed. it is exceedingly stupid, and csn bo
| caught by the hand, but ut other times it ia
n match Tor the stousest man- It passes the
| greatest para Of the day sleeping, searching
| Tor prey in the morning and evening. It Is
seldom shot (shouSh it il not invulnerable, as
euce thought,), but is generally caught in
traps. The ontv noise 1t makes ia hiss like
that Of goose the usual t1schaa
{ muscles being wanting. 1t lays two white
eggs on an inaccessible ledge 1t makes no
tie cggs. By no srlount Of bribery could
tempt m Indian to search for condors eggs.
and Mr. Smith, who hunted nearly twelve
zeaIe in the Quito Valley, WAS never able to
get sight Of one. 1rcub baton occupies about
ra.agouia much earlier, o. about February J