Part 10

The Urubitinga is, without question, the noblest and most courageous member of its family, and, according to the Brazilians, is a very dangerous foe to monkeys, small quadrupeds, birds, lizards, and snakes; it also eagerly devours grasshoppers and snails; in order to obtain these it prefers to make its home in the forests, upon the outskirts of which it loves to linger; it is occasionally, but rarely, seen in the open country. The Prince von Wied tells us that he has often found this bird perched in the branches of some thickly-foliaged tree, surrounded by a host of feathered tormentors, who were doing their best to excite it to frenzy; these amiable endeavours, however, had no visible result; the nobler bird sat still, tranquilly pursuing its meditations, apparently quite unconscious that it was the subject of their gibes and raillery. The flight of the Urubitinga is majestic, and capable of being long sustained; its voice is very shrill, and composed of but two notes. The eyrie is usually constructed upon such inaccessible trees as grow near the banks of a river. We learn from Burmeister that the eggs, two in number, are elongated, and white, spotted with various shades of reddish brown.

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The VULTURE FALCONS (_Polybori_) are a family of birds inhabiting South America. Their bodies are slender, their wings comparatively short, their tails long, broad, and rounded at the extremity; the tarsi are high and thin, the toes weak and of moderate size, the claws pointed and but slightly curved; the beak is long, straight towards its base, hooked at its tip, and straight at the margins. The plumage is harsh, and composed of large feathers; those upon the head are pointed. The cheek-stripes are _always_, the throat and brow _occasionally_ bare; the eye has long lashes.

The members of this family may be regarded as holding in South America the place occupied in Europe by the Raven, Magpie, and Crow. They frequent all parts of the country in large numbers, and live in such close proximity to man, that they are literally found at his very door. Two species of this group are particularly fond of the society of the human race, and are met with throughout the land, on every spot where even the smallest settlement has been established; others frequent the sea-coast, upon which they obtain the means of subsistence; and some inhabit the woods, feeding, in a great measure, upon fruits and berries. Carrion and offal have, however, the greatest attractions for the Vulture Falcons, and wherever these are to be met with hundreds are certain to appear. The flight of these birds is so peculiar as to cause them to be recognised even at a great distance; in consequence of the equal length of the quills, the wings appear square when extended, and the tail is kept fully spread, whilst they travel through the air with a slow, sweeping kind of stroke; occasionally, however, they fly with considerable rapidity. When upon the ground their gait closely resembles that of the True Vulture. The sight and hearing of this family are keen, and their other senses tolerably acute; that of smell they certainly possess, and the nostrils are always moist. In disposition they are bold and insolent, and would willingly be extremely social; their shrill Hawk-like cry, however, renders it undesirable to cultivate their intimate acquaintance. Their nest is built upon the ground or on the branches of trees; the eggs, from two to six in number, are round, and spotted like those of Falcons. Both parents assist in the cares of incubation, and are much attached to their young. Although extremely numerous in their native land these birds are but seldom brought to Europe, and are therefore always numbered amongst the rarities of our zoological collections.

THE CHIMANGO.

The CHIMANGO (_Milvago Chimachima_) is one of the most extensively distributed species of this family. The formation of its body is slender, its head large, the wings long and pointed; in the latter the fourth quill exceeds the rest in length. The tail is of moderate size, and slightly rounded; the legs high, slender, and the tarsi sparsely feathered; the toes are long, and armed with very sharp hooked talons; the beak is slender, and terminates in a short hook; the cere is broad, and projects beyond the well-developed nostrils, which are surrounded by a kind of ridge; the throat is but slightly covered with feathers; the bridles and region of the eyes are bare. Dirty white predominates in the plumage of the adult male; the wings, tail, back, and a streak above the eyes that extends to the nape are dark brown; the four exterior quills are white in the middle, and marked with dark spots, thus forming an irregular white line; the other quills are yellowish white at their origin, and streaked with black; the upper portion being blackish brown. The tail-feathers are white, tipped and striped three times with blackish brown. The eye is greyish brown, the beak pale blueish white, brightest towards its tip; the cheek-stripes, cere, eyelids, and a small place round the eye, and the chin are orange colour; the feet are pale blue. But little difference is perceptible in the plumage of the male and female. In the young birds the top of the head and cheeks are dark brown, the sides and back of the neck yellowish white, spotted with brown; the back is dark brown, and some of the feathers are bordered with red. The wing-covers are striped with two shades of brown, the throat is dirty white, the breast blackish brown, each feather being streaked with yellow; the belly is yellowish. The length of this species is fourteen inches and a half, its breadth thirty-one inches; the wing measures about ten, and the tail six inches. The female is a trifle larger than her mate.

The Chimangos inhabit almost the whole of South America, and throughout that continent are met with in great numbers; pasture lands or large open tracts are their favourite resorts, and, if not molested, they will congregate around and upon the houses of the natives; Boeck mentions having often seen them perching in crowds on the roofs, or following the ploughman up and down the fields. They rarely frequent mountains, and then only to a limited height; but at times they are casual visitors to the sea-coast. When upon the ground the Chimango moves with dignified ease, and regards all such as approach it with a proud glance of its eye, that would lead us to imagine its intelligence superior to its position in the economy of Nature. Its flight is far from rapid, and it seldom rises high into the air. According to the Prince von Wied, these birds are never seen flying peaceably about in parties, but exhibit on all occasions such a decided love of quarrelling and strife that even a chance meeting between two of them, if strangers to each other, is likely to be followed by a furious battle. No other Birds of Prey will eat such various kinds of food as are ordinarily devoured by the Chimango, to whose voracious appetite it would seem that nothing comes amiss, even down to the merest refuse from the kitchens of the natives; it much enjoys potatoes, and not only abstracts them from the houses, but will dig them up immediately after it has seen them planted. Of all the hungry crew by which the dead body of a horse or cow is invariably surrounded, this bird is always the last to leave the well-picked bones, and may often be seen, long after the rest have deserted it, running up and down within the skeleton, in the hope of finding an as yet undiscovered morsel; it eagerly devours worms, larvæ, snails, reptiles, fishes, birds, and small quadrupeds, besides a great variety of other articles of food gleaned from the sea-coast. The voice of the Chimango is extremely harsh and shrill. The breeding season commences in September. The eyrie, which is built upon a tree, is a large shallow structure formed of branches, twigs, and roots. The brood consists of five or six very round eggs, of a reddish or light brown-grey colour, marked with irregularly disposed spots of red or brown, which lie closest at the broad end. During the period of incubation the Chimango is somewhat less quarrelsome towards its associates than at other seasons of the year, and exhibits great affection for its young.

THE VULTURE BUZZARD.

The VULTURE BUZZARD (_Milvago Australis_) is also a well-known inhabitant of South America, and is particularly numerous in the Falkland Islands. In size this species resembles the Spotted Eagle (_Aquila nævia_). The plumage of the adult birds is deep black, the feathers upon the back, neck, and breast being streaked with white; the hose are bright reddish brown; the origin of the quills and tips of the tail feathers white. The beak is grey, the cere and feet of a yellow shade. The young are without the light streaks upon the neck and breast, the feathers on these parts being speckled with red or reddish white. The quills are rust red at the base, the tail blackish brown, the beak deep brown, and the feet brownish yellow. Abbott tells us that these birds will fall upon and devour such of their own species as have been wounded; and that they are so covetous and inquisitive that he has known them drag a large hat and two balls to the distance of a mile from the spot on which they were first discovered. According to another authority, they are so violent in their disposition that it is not uncommon for them to root up the grass when they are in a particularly troublesome humour. Upon the ground they run with all the agility of a pheasant, and are then very elegant in their appearance; when perched we cannot pay them the same compliment, as their crop is often so enormously distended as to excite strong feelings of disgust. The Vulture Buzzard spends but little of its time in the air, through which it may be said to walk rather than fly, so peculiar and heavy are its movements when upon the wing. It is noisy in its habits, and possesses a loud harsh voice, much resembling that of the Crow; whilst uttering its very disagreeable but varied notes, the head is repeatedly thrown backwards and forwards, after the manner of its congeners. The eyrie is built upon the precipitous rocks that abound upon the coast, and is usually formed of dry blades of tussock grass, lined with wool. The two or three eggs of which a brood consists are round, brown, and variegated with dark spots and streaks. The female lays about November, and Abbott tells us that the young do not attain their full beauty until they are two years old.

THE CARANCHO.

The CARANCHO or TRARO (_Polyborus vulgaris_ or _Polyborus Brasiliensis_) is found extensively throughout South America. The group of which this bird may be regarded as the type, is characterised by a slender body and powerful wings (in which the third quill is the longest) that extend almost to the end of the tail; the feathers of the latter are ragged at the tips, as in the tail of the Vulture. The legs are long, the toes short, and the talons strong, sharp, and but slightly curved. The beak is large, high, straight at its base, and only slightly bent. The plumage is heavy and lustreless. The feathers upon the head, neck, and breast, are narrow; those on the back large and rounded. The cheek-stripes, as well as the region of the chin and crop, are so sparsely covered with short bristles that they appear to be bare. The length of the Carancho is about one foot two inches; its breadth more than four feet; the wing measures above fourteen, and the tail above seven inches; the feathers upon the top and back of the head can be raised so as to form a crest. The back is dark brown striped with white; the wings are of the same deep shade, streaked with a paler tint upon the posterior quills and wing-covers; the cheeks, chin, throat, and upper part of the breast are white or yellowish white; the sides of the throat and breast streaked like the back. The belly, legs, and rump are of an uniform blackish brown; the tail feathers are white, tipped broadly with blackish brown and thickly covered with extremely fine brown lines; the eye is grey or reddish brown; the cere, cheek-stripes, and the bare space around the eyes brownish yellow; the beak is light blue, and the foot orange colour. The female is larger than her mate, the only other difference in appearance consisting in the comparative paleness of her coloration. The feathers upon the bodies of the young birds are pointed and have light borders, those upon the top of the head being of a deep brown, but with this exception their plumage is very dull and faded in its appearance.

These remarkable birds are frequently met with in pairs, wandering over the plains of South America; but they are most numerous in the extensive regions known as the Steppes or Pampas, or near morasses. When seen upon the ground their appearance is striking and even beautiful; the crest is borne aloft, and each bird moves with an ease and bold bearing that might almost be termed majestic. Animal food of all kinds is greedily devoured by the Caranchos, and they capture mice, small birds, reptiles, snails, and insects, after the manner of Buzzards. Azara tells us that flocks of sheep if not protected by the presence of a good dog, are constantly in danger of falling victims to the attacks of these voracious marauders, who come down in parties of four or five upon the defenceless lambs, and tear out their entrails even while still alive.

The Caranchos, says Mr. Darwin, together with the voracious Chimangos, constantly attend in numbers the _estancias_ and slaughter-houses. If an animal dies on the plain, the Milvago begins the feast, and then the Caranchos pick the bones quite clean. Besides devouring the carrion of large animals, these birds frequent the borders of streams and sea-beaches to pick up whatever the waters cast ashore. In Terra del Fuego and on the west coast of Patagonia they must live exclusively on such supplies. The Caranchos are said to be crafty and to steal great numbers of eggs. They attempt also, together with the Chimango, to pick the scabs from the sore backs of horses and mules; the poor animals on the one hand with ears down and back arched, and on the other the hovering bird of prey eyeing at a distance the disgusting morsel, form a picture that has been described by Captain Head with peculiar spirit and accuracy. A person will discover the necrophagous habits of the Carancho by walking out upon one of the desolate plains and there lying down to go to sleep; for when he awakes he will see on each surrounding hillock one of these birds patiently watching him with an evil eye. If a party goes out hunting with dogs and horses, it will be accompanied during the day by several of these attendants, and in the desert between the rivers Negro and Colorado, numbers constantly attend on the line of road to devour the carcases of the exhausted animals which chance to perish from fatigue and thirst.

These birds are much detested by the inhabitants of the districts where they abound, on account of their raids upon the meat laid out to dry in the fields. They will also steal fowls from under the very eye of the farmer, and destroy eggs in great numbers; we are told that they even pursue Cranes until the unfortunates are compelled to disgorge the meat they have been seen to swallow. These various attacks upon the outer world are generally returned with interest upon the head of the rapacious offender, for not only other birds, but even its own species, allow no opportunity for annoying or harassing it to escape their notice; while another troublesome class of enemies contributes to render the life of these disgusting birds far from enviable; we allude to the vermin with which their plumage is so infested as to render it unadvisable to touch even their dead carcases. The voice of the Carancho is harsh, and has given rise to its name of "Traro," as it consists of two notes--"tr-a-a-a" and "r-o-o-o," uttered in such a manner as to sound like the noise made by striking two pieces of wood together, and the attitudes into which this bird throws itself, whilst vociferating in this strange manner, are most laughable and eccentric. From early morning till sunset, the Carancho is actively employed in the pursuit of prey; at night it perches itself upon the lower branches of some ancient tree, in company with is almost inseparable companion, the Carrion Vulture; it often flies to a distance of some five or six miles in search of one of its favourite resting-places, and should an old tree not be discovered, takes possession of a piece of rock, or of one of the hills raised by the termites. Throughout the entire year the female is never deserted by her mate, and even when these birds are seen in large parties, it is easy to distinguish the respective pairs by their mutual attentions. In Paraguay the breeding season commences in the autumn; in the more central parts of the continent it takes place in the spring. The nest, which is large and flat, is placed on a tree, and formed of branches lined with roots, grass, and moss. The two eggs which form a brood are yellow, spotted with brown or crimson. The young are covered with white down when they first leave the shell, and are for a time tended with great care by their parents; this attention is, however, of short duration, the little family being sent forth early to shift for themselves. These birds are but rarely caged. Audubon informs us that all the brilliant colours that adorn the bare patches upon the body of the Carancho have completely faded within an hour after the death of the bird.

THE GANGA.

The GANGA (_Ibicter Americanus_ or _Ibicter nudicollis_) represents a group known as the SCREAMING BUZZARDS (_Ibicter_).

The body of this species is slender; its tail so long that the wings only reach as far as its middle portion; the tarsi are of moderate size, and equal the middle toe in length; the beak is long, narrow, and arched gently towards its tip, which is slightly hooked. The bridles, cheeks, and throat are bare, only the small portion of the cheek-stripes that passes behind the cere being covered with very long fine bristles. The length of this species is about twenty-two inches, its breadth forty-two to forty-five inches, the wing measures fifteen inches and a half, and the tail nine and a half. The plumage upon the head, throat, nape, back, wings, tail, breast, and sides of the upper part of the belly are of a resplendent black, which gleams with a green lustre; the lower part of the legs and belly are white. The eyes are bright red; the cere, corners of the mouth, and base of the lower mandible a beautiful light blue; the bare parts of the face reddish brown. The young are paler in their colours and their feathers are surrounded by a brown border; their eyes are brown.

We learn from the Prince von Wied that this bird inhabits the primitive forests, or such parts of the country as are barren and unfrequented. "It was not," says this author, "until I reached the districts that lie between the rivers Ithéos and Pardo, in fifteen degrees south latitude, that I was surprised by the loud penetrating notes of the Ganga, whose voice sounded strange and unearthly in those deserted regions. This species is of social habits, and, though often found solitary, is as frequently met with in pairs and numerous flocks. Woods are usually preferred for its dwelling-place, as in such localities it easily finds abundance of wasps, bees, and other insects, upon which it chiefly subsists. Whilst occupied in the chase of prey, its deep-toned voice is constantly heard as it flies about from branch to branch." We are told on reliable authority that it also eats large quantities of fruit and berries, and some kinds of reptiles.

THE SECRETARY.

The SECRETARY or CRANE VULTURE (_Gypogeranus serpentarius_), a member of this family, is one of the most extraordinary birds with which we are acquainted, and well deserves a minute description. Its body is slender, its wings long and straight, the first five quills being of equal length, and there are blunt spurs or excrescences on the carpal joint. The tail is of remarkable length, and very abruptly graduated, the two middle feathers, which are slender, extending far beyond the rest. Owing to the very peculiar construction of the feet, naturalists differ as to the classification of this species, and we have therefore assigned it to no particular group. The principal peculiarity of the Crane Vulture's foot is the disproportionate length of the tarsus; the toes are short and the claws of moderate size, blunt, but slightly curved and very strong. The neck is thick, and the head small, broad, and flat at the top; the beak, which is shorter than the head, is thick, powerful, and vaulted, curving abruptly downwards from its base: the hook in which the upper mandible terminates is of moderate size, and very sharply pointed. The cere extends from below the eyes almost to the middle of the beak. The plumage is thick and formed of large feathers, which are prolonged at the back of the head into a crest, composed of six pairs of feathers placed one behind the other, so that they can be either raised and spread, or laid flat one upon another. The cheek-stripes and region of the eyes are bare. In the coloration of the plumage light greyish blue predominates; the top of the head, crest, nape, quills, and tail feathers, with the exception of the two longest, are black, edged with white at their tip; the belly is striped with black and light grey, the legs with grey and light brown; the two centre tail-feathers are greyish blue, tipped with white, and spotted with black towards the extremity; the lower wing-covers are reddish brown. The crest of the female is shorter and her tail longer than that of her mate, her plumage is also lighter; her legs are striped brown and white, and her belly is entirely of the latter hue. The young resemble their mother. The length of the male is from forty-one to forty-three inches; the wing measures twenty-four inches and the tarsus is one foot long. The female is somewhat larger than her mate.

The Crane Vulture inhabits Africa, from the Cape to fifteen degrees north latitude, and from the Red Sea to Senegal; it is also occasionally seen on the Philippine Islands. Such as are met with in Northern Africa are smaller than that we have just described, and are probably a different species. A glance at the engraving of this remarkable bird will convince our reader that its life must necessarily be passed almost entirely upon the ground. Mountains and woods it carefully avoids, and when desirous of flying it is compelled to run a short distance and then spring upwards, in order to get fairly on the wing; at first it moves heavily and with apparent difficulty through the air, but after a few strenuous efforts its flight becomes easy and regular, and it sweeps lightly and beautifully aloft, apparently without even moving its broad pinions: it finds itself, however, most at home upon the ground, and stalks over its surface with much dignity, the long Crane-like legs enabling it to walk for miles without fatigue; when in pursuit of prey it runs, with its body thrown forward, almost as rapidly as a Bustard.