The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-08-09
THE CONDOR OF THE ANDES.
Scars Far Above the Eagle and Reaches
Height of Six Miles.

heISnU 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, and Oar
win speaks rapturously of its grace of
motion on the wing. when the con-
doris are wheeling in a flock, round and
round any spot, their flight is beauti-
full. 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 a bird, hour after hour,
without any apparent exertion, wheel
ing and gliding over mountain and
river
Humboldt claims that it scars to an
altitude of at least 10000 feet above the
sea. From the cave of Autisana, which
is at an elevation of 12,95S feet above
the Pacific ocean, he observed a condor
lSc pei W d SIilI SItdtCI
height of 6,976 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 ordi-
nary clouds. The bird, from flying at
this extreme elevation. where the air
must be so highly rarefed, will drop
suddenly to the valleys, thus in the
oil,
incredible change of temperature. At
such a height the air cells of the con-
dor, when they have been filled in the
lower regions, must be inflated in the
most extraordinary 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 satiated he
leaves them, appearing to be oppressed
by the higher temperature and in
creased weight of the atmosphere. and
returns to regions far above the clouds,
where the air is so rarefed that a man
can hardly breathe. High up as the
eye can reach he may be seen describ-
ing his graceful circles against the
point of vantage he brings his tele-
scopic eyes 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 IA
poor creature drop than down rush the
condors to the feast. In spite of the
keenness of a hunger sharpened by one
knows not how many days of watching
upon the wing at that frightful alti-
tude, our condor begins his repast
daintily, tasting first the tongue and
eyes, his chosen tidbits. But. soon fred
by the sight of the beautiful banquet
which death has spread for him, he
tears the tough hide, and, wildly pull
ing with his beak, pushes 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 nc
longer has power to raise himself upon
the wing Knowing this, the Indian
will often place dead animal as lure
upon the plains. When the birds have
become gorged and unable to fly the
Indians appear and moose them with
the lasso, the sport which they find
scarce less exciting than the Spaniard
does his -fght.-Popular Science
News.