Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-06-13
GOES ABOVE THE EAGLE.

The Condor of the Andes is Said to
Reach Height of Six Miles.
Despite its immense size and weight,
the condor possesses the power Of rising
in its flight to a greater distance above
the earth than any other bird, says the
Popular Science News, and Darwin
speaks rapturously Of its grace Of
motion on the wing. "When the con-
doris are wheeling in flock, round and
round any spot, their flight is beautiful.
Except when rising from the ground,
[ do not recollect ever to have seen
one of these birds flap its wings Near
Lima | watched several for nearly half
an hour without once taking off my
eyes. They moved in large curves,
sweeping in circles, descending and as
cending, without giving a single flap.
1t is truly wonderful and beautiful to
see so great bird, hour after hour,
without any apparent eXertion, wheel
ing and gliding over mountain and
river"
Humboldt claims that it scars 10 an
altitude of at least 10000 feet above the
sea. From the cave of Autisana, which
is at an elevation of 1858 feet above
the Pacific Ocean, he observed a condor
rise perpendicularlv to a still greater
hight OF $3.50 feet. Other authorities
state that it reaches a height of six
miles above the sea level, which is about
six times the height of the ordinary
clouds. The bird, from flying at this
extreme elevation, where the air must
be so highly rarified, will drop sudden
ly to the valleys, thus in the briefest
time passing through an almostincredi-
bic change of temperature. At such
height the air cells Of the condor, when
they have been filled in the lower re-
gions, must be inflated in the most ex-
traordinary manner. But the great
bird loves the heights They are his
chosen home.
hunger alone drives him to the
plains. As soon as his appetite is sati-
ated he leaves them, appearing to be
oppressed by the higher temperature
and returns to regions far above the
clouds, where the air is SO rarified that
a man can hardly breathe High up as
the eye can reach he may be seen de-
scribing his graceful circles against the
blue. From this or even a more lofty
point Of vantage he brings his telescope
eye to bear upon the earth, eagerly
scanning the movements of the herds
for the fall of some weakening member
of the flock. No sooner does a poor
creature drop than down rushes the
condors to the feast.
In spite of the keenness of hunger
sharpened by one knows not how many
days of watching upon the wing at that
trlgld altitude, our condor begins his
repast daintily, tasting first the tongue
and eyes, his chosen tid-bits. But
soon, fired by the sight of the beautiful
banquet which death has spread before
him, he tears the tough hide, and wild
~ pulling with his beak. pushing with
his feet, and tapping his wide wings,
gorges himself, gulping down great bits
of flesh, and riots without stint until he
can hold no more. Fairly drunken
with his revolving feast, he no longer
has power to raise himself upon the
wing. knowing this the Indians will
often place dead animal as lure upon
the plains. When the birds have be-
come gorged and unable to fly, the In
dams appear and moose them with
the iasso, the sport which they find
scarce less exciting than the Spaniard
oes his bull fight.