Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-02-19
Tho Great Condor.

Despite its immense size and weight,
the condor possesses the power OF rih'
ing In it, flight to greater distance
above the earth than any other bird,
and Darwin spoAkn Tapturiously Of tie
grace OF motion on the wing. "When
the cOndors arc wheeling Ia flock,
round and round any spot, their filght
10 beautiful. Except when rising from
the gTUuuu, do NOS r1CJlleCl ever 10
have seen ono OF thUBe Blr1a Hap
IT. wings. Near Lima watched SOW
crnl Tor nearly hall an hour without
once taking OIL my eyes. They
moved In large curves, sweeping In
circles, descending and ascending,
without giving single nap,
IL IL truly wonderful and beau.
tlful TO sec 70 great a blrG, hour after
hour, without any appatent eItrtion,
wheeling anu gliding over mountain
and TiveT.D Humboldt claims that It
soara 10 au altitude Of as least twenty
thousand feet above tho sea. From
the cave OF Antisana, which 10 at an
elevation Of twelve thousand nine
hundred anu fiity.eighI feet above the
Pacific ocean, he observed n condor
Tise perpendlcularly to still greater
height Of six thousand eight hundred
Rnd ssventy-six feet. Other author.
lilies state that IL reaches a height Of six
miles shove the sea level, which Ia
about Elk times tho height OF the o..
dinaTy clouds.
The bird from flying at this extreme
elevation, where the air must 10 20
highly raTeted, will drop suddenly u
TO tho valley, thus in the brlefest time
passing through an almost incredible
change OF temperature. At such a
height the GiT-oolls u tue condor, when
they have been filled in the lower 10.
gi0n, must DO Inflated In the most ex-
tTa0rdinary manner. But tho great
bird loves the heights. fhey RT0 his
chosen home. Hunger alone drives
him 10 the plain. AZ soon AZ his ap.
petite IL sauatod he leaves
them, appearing 10 bo oppressed by
the higher temperature and increased
weight OF the atmosphere, and returns
to regions far above the clouus, where
the air Ia 40 TATeiied that u man eau
hardly breathe. High up as the eye
can reach he may be seen describing
his graceful circles against the blue.
From this or even more lofty point
Of vantage no brings his telescope eyes
10 bear upon the earth, eagerly scan
ming lnu lnpNelhtnih ol Ano ntIls LOT
the fall Of some weakening member OF
the mock.
In spite OF the keenness OF hunger
shATpeued by Que who knows not how
many days Of watching upon the wing
at that frigid altitude, cur condor
begins his Tepast dainlily, tasting fret
the tongue anu eyeS, his chosen til.
bits. But soon, tirsd oy tho sight ofthc
bountilul banquet wnlcn death has
spread Tor him, ne tears tho tough side,
aud, wildly pulling with his bsak,
pushing with bis feet, and Tapping his
wide wings, gorges himself, gulping
down gIaat bits OF tlssh, anu riots with.
Out stint until 10 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 become Rorged
and unable 10 hy, the Indians appear
anu moose them with the lassC--i spor
which they fnd scarce less exciting
than the bpaniard does his hull light
Exchange.