Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-05-02
AN OUTLAWED BIRD.

is carrying on q novel war on the gigantic
yulture of the Andes, the condor. Condors
have increased so rapidly within the past
few years all along the whole western slope
of the great mountain chain which is their
habitat that they have become, by their foul
habits, scourge that has increased the al.
ready sufficiently unwbolesome character of
the country. The government, in its proc
lamation, offered bounty of S. for every
condor killed.
The hunting of condors has been regu-
lar business in the Andes mountains. for
many years, and the natives have made some
money at it, but, like all the vulture family,
the condor grows suspicious and wary from
contact with mankind, and it has grown to
know and fear gun so that it is next TO
impossible to get within gunshot of one.
Snares are now the only means by which
condors may be taken with any certainty,
and they have learned to be on the lookout
for them. These birds have the most Won
derful powers of vision and fight of any liv-
ing creature of the air. Perched on noun
tain peaks above the clouds, they watch the
trails which mules and llamas follow, with
their burdens, thousands of feet below them,
and if an animal dies and is left on the
plain these monster vultures see it, and al
though no human sight can discover the
presence of single bird, in a few seconds
lime they will be seen dropping down from
the clouds like thunderbolts. Formerly the
hunter took advantage of this swooping
down upon the carcasses of dead animals
by hiding within gunshot and picking off
one or two condors before they could rise
out of range. Traps were also set beside
dead bodies of mules and other animals.
But this can rarely be done successfully
now, so wary has the condor become. TIE
same wonderful eyes that keep the trailing
caravan in view or discover the carcass left
lying for its use notesalso the hunter hiding
with his gun, or the trapper arranging his
snare by the carcass, and the bird remains
in safety on its perch. To shoot it Oh the
wing, unless you are fortunate enough to
lie secreted near some lofty peak when the
bird comes sailing through the clouds 10
seek it for perch, is entirely out Of
the question, for it flies at attitudes such
as no other bird attains. This lying in
wait, however, far above the snow
line for chance TO put a ball through
q condor is something that requires more
grit and nerve than the average hunter can
boast, and consequently 'hsrc are not mary
condors killed on the wing. These birds
hatch their young among the snow covered
crags of the Andes, sometimes - 600 feet
above the sea, and the bird has been seen at
an altitude of 1000 feet. Once in great
while you may hear al some hunter hGld
enough to Chamber TO the nesting places
among these crags in search Of condor pests,
as the capture of the young or the eggs is as
profitable as killing q grown bird; but such
exploits are few and far between.
There is no more startling sight than
from some snowy rock so high in the noun
taius that the clouds hide the world from
YOUR view, to see one of these immense birds
break suddenly through the dense vapor be.
low you and sail upward with broad sweep
of its ponderous wings into the haunts
where it dwells alone in the solitude. 1t
seems like some winged demon daring to
seek the realms of the sky. This bird can
stand range of temperature beyond which
human existence is impossible, and is at
home among the snowy peaks of Chill and
Peru as we'll as upon the burning sands of
Patagonia. With sweep of wing twelve
feet in extent the swiftness of condor's
flight is such that it will sail out of sight,
notwithstanding its great size, within the
space of very few minutes. 1t may with
ease eat it's breakfast in the Northern Andes
peaks of the southern sea coast.
If it were possible to get at the nests of
the condor so that it's eggs might be des-
troyed there might be some chance that the
ontlawed bird would in time be extirminat-
ed, but the systematic scaling of icy peaks
to the height of anywhere from 10000 TO
$4,000 feet above the ocean for the purpose
of bird. nesting, even at S. nest, is not
likely to ever come to pass. Poisoning of
the birds might be made effectual, but un-
less some poison can be made so deadly that
it will kill the bird as it stands over the
carcass it is devouring that means of exter-
mination cannot be made practical. The
hunter must produce the evidence that he
has killed condor before he can secure the
bounty. That evidence is the birds head.
A poisoned bird would carry off that evil
dence with him, and die with it among in
accessible peaks. The poisoning of condors
has been tried and was not satisfactory to
the hunters. am of the opinion that this
bird has the quality of selfpreservation de.
veloped too largely to make its humiliation
even remotely probable. When the last
South American dies there will be plenty
of condors ready to devour his body if they
have the opportunity. y.'-NeU York Times.
Rny p H DoooIass <, Soma, Cansicu,n