Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-11-20
OUR BIC CONDORS
In Weight and Spread of Wing
They Surpass All Other Birds.
MYSTERY IN THEIR FLIGHTS.

WIN FtSco Outsprcad wings tnoSo
Wonderful Birds Will Sweep Upward
and Onward Through the Air With
out the Movement of a Feather.
1t Is not commonly known that we
have condor In the United States,
yet there Is one on the Pacific coast
that in weight and spread or wing sur
passes all other birds. From tip to
tip OF wing 1t measures more than ten
feet. considerably more than the con-
dor of the Andes and about a yard
more than the largest eagle or swan.
This condor is black. tInged with
brown. except under the wings, where
there Is long. narrow strip OF almost
pure white running the whole length
OF the wing and widening near the
body. II has no run round the neck,
but fringe OF long. narrow black
feathers on the back OF the neck gives
1t savage appearance. Il nests
among the rocks In lofty cliffs. laying
several white eggs much larger than
those OF the turkey or goose From
1878 to 1885 condors were so abun-
dant In southern California that l used
to see them almost every day. but now
they are found only In the wilder noun
tains. Their eggs bring 500 each in
the larger museums Of the country.
III an animal is sick or disa bled the
condor rarely hesitates TO attack II.
and its fate Is soon sealed II il Is not
cape its enemy.
Like the condor OF the Andes, that
OF California will so gorge Itself with
food al times that it can be lassoed
In the quick dash OF a good horse. A
friend OF mine at San Jacinto had one
that had been caught In that way
But, although be had thousands Of
sheep and cattle. he had to give the
bird away because he could not afford
to feed It II would eat whole sheep
at meal and then look hungry and
sad. as II Il were badly treated
Once clear Of the ground. with wings
outspread. the condor has no trouble
In bearing away into the clouds a din
ner that will last a week or two.
Standing on the ground Mt distance
this great bird looks much like n big
black Newfoundland dog sitting up for
cracker. but In the air 1t SURPRISES in
grace and variety OF action every other
wanderer OF the skies. The whooping
crane. that floats like a speck OF down
In the remOtest blue: the frigate bird.
whose wing seems never made to fold.
even the albatross. are all clumsy and
monotonous compared with the condor
IL travels In a series OF winding lines.
in which symmetry and grace always
govern the boldest sweeps or the high
est bursts of speed.
Dozens of times ! have laid among
the rocks and had the condor come so
near that 1 could plainly see the spar
kle of the brown eye In the vivid red
of the bare head. and with the strong
glass that always carried In hunting
deer | have brought the bird much
nearer. Yet never could l detect the
slightest motion of wing or feathers
beyond lazy lap or two at intervals
OF several minutes or simple inbend
ing OF the tips OF the wings, as If feel
ing the breeze to be sure II was there
And the bird often floats an hour or
more without even this slight motion.
Ii is quite wonderful when the con
dor sets its wings and slides sidewiSe
across "a strong breeze without any de
scent. yet without falling backward
and still more so to see the great bird
return with swing OF half n mile or
more. arriving hundreds OF feet above
the point Of starting and perhaps hun
dreds OF yards ahead of il
When ! have been well hidden among
the rocks ! have seen II condor within
few yards hanging on the air for
many seconds at a time-not like the
hawk balancing itself TO fall upon some
bird below, but seeming to sleep there
as peacefully and quietly as a summer
cloud. Then suddenly the bird has
turned half over and cleft the air with
a sharp hiss OF wing feathers. for
which there was not the slightest mo-
ton of wing to account And all this
time the condor has been rising instead
OF falling. and | have vainly watched
the frinsed tips OF the great wings for
the slightest sign OF motion.-T. s. Van
Dyke in Youths Companion.