Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-10-20
CharacteristIcs Of the Condor.

|. ShaTacltfiSIics OF the t0nu0r.
Prof james Orton's paper at the Troy
meeting of the Association for the Advance
tment of Science contained thefolloying in
/ teresting account Of this wonderful bird
Fifty years have elapsed since the first
/ specimen reached Europe, yet to-day the
| exaggerated stories of its size and strength
are repeated in many of our tex bOohs,and
the very latest oruithological work leaves
ne in doubt as to its relation to the other
vultnres. No one credits the assertion OF
the old geographer, Marco Polo. that the
condor can lit an elephant from the ground
I high enough to kill it by the fall nor the
story of the traveller, so late as 1880, who
| declared that 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 expanse Of
full grown condor is from fifteen
to twenty feet, whereas il is very
doubtful If it ever exceeds VI ecu
equals twelve feet | have a full
| grown male from the most celebrated 10.
cality Of the Andes, and the stretch of its
wings in nine feet Humboldt never
found one to measure over nine feet, and
the largest specimen which Darwin saw was
81 feet from tip to tip. An old male in the
geological Gardens Of London measures
II feet. 1t 10 not yet settled that this
greatest of unolean birds is generally
distinct from the other vultures. It's
usual habitation is between the alti-
tudes of 10000 and 10000 Feet
The largest seem to make their home
around the volcano Of Cayambi, which
stands exactly on the equator They are
most commonly seen around vertical cliffs
perhaps because their nests are there and
also because cattle are likely to fall there
Flocks are never seen except around q
large carcass. 1t is often seen singly soar-
ing at a great height in vast circles Its
flight lis slow. 1t never flaps its
wings in the air, but its head is al
ways in motion as if in search
Of food below. Its mouth is kept
open and its Jail spread. To rise from
the ground it must needs run for some
distance; then il Aaps its wings three times
and scars away. AnarrOw pen is therefore
Sufficient to imprison it, In walking the
wings trail on the ground and the head
takes a crouching position. Though a car
rioa bird it breathes the purest air spend
ing much of its time soaring three miles
over the sea. Hlmboldt saw one fly over
Chimborazo. I have seen them sail
ing at least one thousand feet above
the crater OF Pichincha. It's german
dizing power has hardly been over
stated. have known single condor not
of the largest size, to make way in one
week with a cali, . sheep and a dog. 1t
prefers carricn, bit will sometimes attack
live sheep, deer, dogs, &c. The eyes and
tongue ola carcass are the tayorite parts,
and Grst devoured nezt, the intestines.
never heard an authenticated case of its
carrying off children, nor of its attacking
adults, except in defence Of its EGGS, Ia
captivity it will eat everything except pork
and tried or boiled meat. When full fed It
is exceedingly stupid, and can be caught
by the hand; nut at other times it is a
match for the stoutsst man. II passes the
greatest part # the day sleeping, search
ing for prey in the morning and SEEMING.
1t is seldom shot (thougb it is not invul-
nerable, as once thought but Is gen.
orally caught ia traps, The only
noise it makes il, hiss ike that Of a
goose-the usual trach@a muscles being
wanting 1t lays two white eggs on an in
accessible ledge. I makes no nest proper
but places few sticks around the eggs.
By no amount OF bribery could tempt an
Indian to search for condCf5' eggs, and Mr..
| Smith, who had hunted nearly twelve years
in the Quito Valley was never able to get
sight of one. Inoubation occupies about
seven weeks, ending IN April or May, IN
Pata gonia much earlier, or about February,