The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-03-01
rn roxnop This greatest of un.

THE CONDOR. This greatest OF un-
clean birds has been singularly unfortu-
nate in the hands of the curious and
scientific. Fifty years have elapsed
since the first specimen reached Europe;
vet to-day the exaggerated stories of
its size and strength are repeated in
many of our textbooks, and the very
latest ornithological work leaves us in
doubt as to its relation to the other
vultures. No one credits the assertion
of the old geographer, Marco Polo, that
the condor can lift an elephant from the
ground high enough to kill it by the
fall, nor the story of 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 good PAGES long !
Yet the statement continues to be pub
lished that the ordinary expanse of a
full-grown specimen is from twelve to
twenty feet, whereas it is very doubt
full if it ever exceeds or even equals
twelve feet. A full-grown male from
the most celebrated locality on the
Andes, now in Vassar College, has
stretch of nine feet. Humboldt never
found one to measure over nine feet,
and the largest specimen seen by OAR
win was eight and half feet from tip
to tip. An old male in the Geological
Gardens of London measures eleven
feet. Won Tschudi says he found one
with spread of fourteen feet two inch
es, but he invalidates his testimony by
the subsequent statement that the full
grown condor measures from twelve to
thirteen feet.
The ordinary habitat of the royal con-
dor is between the attitudes of ten thou
sand and sixteen thousand feet. The
largest seem to make their home around
the volcano of Cayambi, which stands
exactly on the equator. In the rainy
season they frequently descend to the
coast, where they may be seen roosting
on trees. On the mountains they very
rarely perch (for which their feet are
poorly ftted), but stand on rocks.
They are most commonly seen around
vertical cliffs, where their nests are, and
where cattle are most likely to fall.
Great numbers frequent Antisana,
where there is great cattle estate.
Flocks are never seen except around
large carcass. 1t is often seen singly
soaring at a great height in vast circles.
Its flight is slow and majestic. Its
head is always in motion, as if in search
of food below. Its mouth is kept open
and its tail spread. To rise from the
ground, it must needs run for some dis
tance; then it flaps its wings three or
four times, and ascends at low angle
till it reaches a considerable elevation,
when it seems to make few leisurely
strokes, as if to ease its wings, after
which it literally sails upon the air.
In walking, the wings trail on the
ground, and the head takes crouching
position. 1t has a very awkward, al
most painful, gait. From its inability
to rise without running, narrow pen
is sufficient to imprison it. Though
carbon bird it breathes the purest air,
spending much of its time soaring three
miles above the sea. Humboldt saw
one flying over Chimborazo. We have
seen them sailing at least a thousand
feet above the crater of Pichincha.
Its gormandizing power has hardly
been overstated. We have known a
single condor, not of the largest size, to
make way in one week with calf,
sheep, and dog. 1t prefers carrion,
but will sometimes attack live sheep,
deer, dogs, etc. The eyes and tongue
are the favorite parts, and first devour-
ed; next, the intestines. We never
heard of one authenticated case of its
carrying off children, nor of its attack
ing adults, except in defense of its eggs.
Won Tschudi says it cannot carry when
flying weight over ten pounds. In
captivity it will eat everything, except
pork and cooked meat When full fed,
it is exceedingly stupid, and can be
caught by the hand but at other times
i. is match for the stoutest man. 1t
passes the greater part of the day sleep
ing, more often searching for prey in
the morning and evening than at noon
very likely because objects are more
distinctly seen. 1t is seldom shot
Though it is not invulnerable, as once
thought, but is generally trapped or
lasSoed.
HUNGaRIAN AND GERMAN COURT
EsY.-Such a thorough gentleman is
the Hungarian by nature that l have
no doubt he would yield even his smok-
ing, if it were disagreeable to others. l
was struck with the opposite charac-
teristic on our train. In my carriage
were young Hungarian student and
Transylvanian Saxon from Bistritz. The
Hungarian had the grace to ask if
smoking was offensive to me, before-he
lit his cigarette. Soon, however, with
the heavy pipe of the Saxon, the air
became thick with smoke, and 1 saw
that the wife of the German who sat at
the other window, was becoming i'll.
We both said something to the Saxon,
and the Hungarian threw his cigarette
out of the window, but the Saxon only
shrugged his shoulders, with kind of
self-satisfed grunt: ''Oh, she wouldn't
have me give up anything which pleas
ed me !" The woman did not reply,
but opened her window wide and lean
ed her head on it.