Part 12

The CONDOR (_Sarcorhamphus gryphus_, or _Sarcorhamphus condor_) has been the subject of even more extravagant tales than its European representative, the Lämmergeier, as its name of Gryphus or Griffin indicates; indeed, the travellers of former times seem to have thought no anecdotes too absurd to impose upon the popular mind either concerning the bird itself, or other productions of the countries it inhabits. The plumage of the full-grown Condor is principally black, enlivened by a slight metallic lustre; the upper part of the wings is black, but all the quills are tipped with patches of white, which become gradually so broad that the shoulder feathers are almost entirely white, and only black at their origin. The back of the head, face, and throat are blackish grey, the neck flesh colour, and the region of the crop pale red; the fold of skin and two warty lappets on either side of the throat of the male are bright red. In both sexes the neck is surrounded by a ruff of white feathers; the eyes are fiery red, the beak horn colour, and the feet dark brown. Humboldt gives the dimensions of the Condor as follows:--The body three feet three inches, span across the wings eight feet nine inches, and the tail fourteen inches. The female, according to the same authority, is one inch shorter, and nine inches less in breadth.

All the highlands of South America, from Quito to fifteen degrees south latitude, afford a home to this huge bird, whose powers of flight are stupendous; indeed, we are told on reliable authority that it is capable of soaring to an altitude of 22,000 feet above the level of the sea, thus surpassing any other member of the feathered race in its wonderful strength of wing. In Peru and Bolivia it lives and breeds upon the sea-coast, but is by no means so numerous as in mountainous districts. Except during the period of incubation, Condors fly in large parties, spending the entire day in sailing majestically about in search of food, and pass the night perched upon one of their favourite ledges or lofty pinnacles of rock. "Near Lima," says Mr. Darwin, "I once watched several Condors for half-an-hour together. They moved in large curves, sweeping in circles, ascending and descending, without once flapping their pinions. As they glided close to my head I intently watched from an oblique position the outlines of the separate and terminal feathers of their wings. If there had been the slightest vibratory motion these would have been blended together; but they remained distinct under the blue sky. If the bird wished to descend, the wings for a moment collapsed, and then, when again expanded with an altered inclination, the momentum gained by the rapid descent seemed to urge it upward with the steady, even motion of a paper kite."

The food of these gigantic birds consists principally of carrion; but they also destroy pumas, vicunas, sheep, and even calves, and thus work terrible havoc among the flocks and herds of the sturdy mountaineers, who are compelled to train their watch-dogs for the especial duty of barking incessantly as long as one of these formidable marauders is within sight of their flocks. Modern writers all agree in corroborating the statement of the Indians that this species never molests children, and as much as possible avoids the vicinity of man, though, if actually attacked, it displays extraordinary courage, as the following extract from the journal of Sir Francis Head fully shows:--"In riding along the plain I passed a dead horse, about which were forty or fifty Condors. Many of them were gorged and unable to fly from repletion, several were standing on the ground, devouring the carcase, the rest hovering over it. I rode within twenty yards of them, and saw one of them displaying his strength as he lifted the flesh and tore out great pieces, sometimes shaking his head and pulling with his beak, and sometimes pushing with his leg. Got to Mendoza and went to bed. Wakened by one of my party who arrived. He told me that, seeing the Condors hovering in the air, he also had ridden up to the dead horse, and as one of these enormous birds flew about fifty yards off and was unable to go any further, he rode up to him, and, jumping off his horse, seized him by the neck. The contest was as extraordinary as the rencontre was unexpected. My companion said that he had never had such a battle in his life; that he had put his knee upon the bird's breast and tried with all his strength to twist his neck, but that the Condor, objecting to this, struggled violently, and, moreover, that as several others were flying over his head he expected that they would attack him. At last he succeeded in killing his antagonist, and showed me with great pride the large feathers from his wings."

The preparations made by these birds for their young are extremely slight; indeed, in most instances the two eggs laid by the female are deposited upon the bare rock. The eggs are large, the shell yellowish white, spotted with brown. When first hatched, the young are covered with a coat of grey down; they grow but slowly, and remain under the protection of their parents long after they are fully fledged. Some tribes of Indians prize the heart and other portions of the body of the Condor as invaluable specifics for many serious maladies, and more than one modern writer has testified to their efficacy in certain complaints. When caged this gigantic bird has been known to become comparatively tame, and attached to its keeper.

THE CALIFORNIAN CONDOR.

The CALIFORNIAN CONDOR (_Sarcorhamphus Californianus_), as the second member of this group is called, is found throughout the mountains of California. According to Taylor, this bird is four feet six inches in length (of which fifteen inches belong to the tail), and eight feet four inches across the span of the wings. Its plumage is of an uniform dark brown or black, marked upon the wings with a triangular spot; the breast is dirty white, as are the exterior feathers of the under surface of the wings; the head, with the exception of a three-cornered stripe covered with small feathers, is bright lemon yellow; the neck is of a dirty flesh colour. The habits of this species resemble those of its congeners, but it is found in larger numbers near the coast, and subsists principally upon fish.

THE KING OF THE VULTURES.

The KING OF THE VULTURES (_Sarcorhamphus papa_) has lately been separated from the preceding under the name of _Gyparchus_, owing to some slight variety in the shape of its nostrils. This bird, known to the writers of former days under the significant appellation, "King of the Vultures," is well worthy of the place thus assigned to it, both as regards its size and general aspect, as well as for the mastery it asserts over other members of its family. Its plumage is extremely beautiful; the fore part of the back and upper wing-covers are bright reddish white, the belly and lower covers pure white, and the wing and tail deep black; the ruff around the neck, and the outer web of the quills are grey; the top of the head and face are covered with short, stiff, flesh-coloured bristles or feathers. The region of the eye exhibits a number of remarkable warts, which, like the folds of skin that pass over the back of the head, are dark red; the cere, neck, and head are light yellow, the deep, lappet-like wattle is black, the beak yellowish white at its tip, bright red in the middle, and black at its base; the feet are blackish grey, and the eye of a silvery whiteness. The plumage of the young is of an uniform nut brown, darkest upon the back and rump; the lower part of the thighs is white. The length of this species has been variously estimated--Tschudi gives it as thirty-two, Burmeister as thirty-four inches. Its breadth is about sixty-seven inches and a half, the wing measures twenty, and the tail nine inches. The female is larger than her mate, but has a somewhat smaller wattle.

The King of the Vultures is found throughout all the lowland provinces of South America, from thirty-two degrees south latitude as far as Mexico, Teja, and Florida, where it usually frequents the primitive forests or fertile plains. It is occasionally met with upon mountains, at an altitude of 5,000 feet above the level of the sea, but is never seen in barren districts or upon bare rocks. This species mainly subsists upon carrion, and morning has scarcely dawned before it may be seen sweeping over the face of the country, in search of the carcase of some creature that has fallen a victim to the jaguar, or one of the many beasts of prey that abound in large forests. Such a repast once found, the bird does not immediately fall to and gorge itself after the manner of most Vultures, but seats itself at some distance upon the ground, or on a neighbouring tree, from whence, with head sunk between its wings, it casts longing glances at the tempting meal, and appears to be endeavouring to put a very keen edge indeed upon its appetite by this self-enforced abstinence, which often lasts for a full half-hour. This unusual proceeding is followed by an onslaught so vigorous, that the royal glutton forgets its usual vigilant precautions for its own safety, and becomes so completely gorged as to be unable to rise from the spot on which it has breakfasted. Schomburghk tells us that whatever birds may be feasting on a dead animal, the Vulture King no sooner arrives at the scene of action than the busy crowd precipitately retire, leaving it in undisturbed possession of the spoil, and only return in case a few scraps should be left after the unwelcome monarch is fully satiated. Many writers have endeavoured to prove the falsity of this statement, but it tallies exactly with our own observations. We have frequently witnessed similar scenes, in which the disappointed birds never ventured to interfere with the lord of the feast, but perched around upon the trees, devouring with their eyes what was unattainable in a more satisfactory and substantial manner. Opinions also differ considerably as to the habits of this species during the breeding season; we shall, therefore, only say that, according to Burmeister, the King of the Vultures builds upon trees, and that the eggs are white.

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The GOOSE VULTURES (_Gyps_) are recognisable by their elongated body and long, slender wings. The tail is of moderate length, and the tarsi low. The neck, which constitutes the peculiar characteristic of this group, resembles in its formation that of the Goose, and is covered with white downy hair or bristles. The beak is comparatively long and feeble. The plumage is composed of large feathers, and varies in its coloration, according to the age of the bird. The young are easily distinguished from their parents by the fact that the feathers which cover their bodies are long and narrow, and that their necks are enveloped in a streaming, ragged kind of frill. The members of this group are found throughout the whole of the Eastern Hemisphere.

THE TAWNY GOOSE VULTURE.

The TAWNY GOOSE VULTURE (_Gyps fulvus_), the only species inhabiting Europe, is about forty-one inches long, and ninety-nine broad; the wing measures twenty-six, and the tail eleven inches. Its plumage is almost entirely of a pale tawny colour, darker on the lower parts of the body than upon the back; the large wing-covers are surrounded by a broad white border, the tail-feathers and primary quills are black, the secondaries greyish brown, edged with reddish brown upon the outer web. The eye is light brown, the beak rust colour, and the feet light greyish brown. The plumage of the young is darker than that of the old birds, and the feathers upon their necks are long, brown, and narrow.

This species is frequently met with in the southern countries of Europe, and occasionally appears in the more central provinces of that continent; it also frequents Egypt, Nubia, Algiers, and Morocco; but although it is sometimes seen around the Himalayas, it is replaced in the lowland districts of Hindostan by the _Gyps Indicus_ and _Gyps Bengalensis_, two very similar birds.

THE SPARROW-HAWK GOOSE VULTURE.

The SPARROW-HAWK GOOSE VULTURE (_Gyps Rüppellii_), the handsomest member of this group, is three feet two inches long, and seven feet six inches broad; the wing measures two feet, and the tail nine inches and a half. In the adult bird all the large feathers, except the quills and those of the tail, are dark brown, tipped with a dirty white, crescent-shaped patch, thus giving a chequered appearance to the body. The skin of the neck is greyish blue, and shades downwards at its sides into a reddish hue, these colours being distinctly visible through the few scanty feathers with which it is overspread. The eye is silver grey, the beak yellow at the base and grey at the tip, the cere black, and the feet dark grey. The frill around the neck is formed of short, hairy, white feathers. In the young birds the small feathers are dark greyish brown, with yellowish brown shafts, and the quills and tail-feathers blackish brown. The eye is pale reddish brown, the cere and beak are black, the latter tipped with blue; the feet are greenish grey; the ruff is composed of long, narrow, dark brown feathers, each with a yellowish shaft. Several years elapse before the young acquire the full plumage of the adult birds.

The Sparrow-hawk Goose Vulture inhabits Nubia, and all the central portions of Africa with which we are acquainted. The southern portion of that continent possesses another species, the _Gyps Kolbii_, but of its distinguishing features we cannot speak with certainty. All the various species of Goose Vultures usually frequent mountain ranges, and build their nests on the rocks or upon trees. They live for the most part in very large flocks, which form extensive settlements during the breeding season, and constantly associate with a variety of other birds. In many respects they are inferior to the rest of the family, but their flight is light and elegant, and they walk with such rapidity that a man must run very fast indeed in order to compete with one of them on _terra firma_. In disposition all are violent and mischievous, and so extremely quarrelsome that battles and disputes are of constant occurrence between them and other Vultures; even those of the same species do not live on much better terms, and often engage in such deadly encounters that they appear entirely regardless of danger, and will allow a man to approach close to them. We have heard, on reliable authority, of an instance in which a shepherd was compelled to employ the "argument of a thick stick" to a couple of Goose Vultures, with which he laid about him very freely before he could persuade them to relinquish their hold upon each other, and retire from the field. According to our own observations, these birds do not begin their search for carrion until the day is far advanced. When they have found a carcase, they at once commence upon the entrails, plunging their heads into the interior, and dragging out their favourite parts with great excitement and violence; Lázár tells us that they often fall upon sick and dying sheep, and kill the poor beasts in this revolting manner.

In Europe the Goose Vulture breeds about March, and places its nest, which is formed of small branches, upon a rock. Many couples often build but a few paces from each other, and it is not unusual to see the nests of the Black Stork and some species of Eagles forming part of their settlements. The brood consists but of one coarse-shelled white egg, which in size resembles that of a Goose. Both parents assist in the somewhat lengthy process of incubation, and tend their little, round, woolly ball of a nestling with great devotion and patience, for so weak is it when it first sees the light, that three months often elapse before it is able to fly. It would be almost impossible to render one of these birds really tame, but we have heard of an instance in which a Goose Vulture became so much attached to an old mastiff belonging to its master, that when the dog died its feathered companion refused to devour the body, even when very hungry, and, after pining for a few days, expired, apparently through grief at its loss. The feathers of the Goose Vulture are much esteemed in Egypt, and large sums, we are told, were formerly paid by Turkish merchants for articles of dress made with them by some tribes of Arabs.

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The CRESTED VULTURES are distinguished from the above group by their strength and compactness of body, as well as by their muscular neck, large head, powerful, eagle-like beak, and broad wings. Their plumage is also thicker and softer than in the Goose Vultures; the head is covered with short, curly, wool-like down, which is prolonged at the nape into a kind of crest, the neck and part of the throat are bare, but the lower part is ornamented with a frill, formed of large, broad, dark feathers.

THE COWLED VULTURE.

The COWLED, or BROWN VULTURE (_Vultur cinereus_), as the European member of this group is called, is forty-one inches and a half long, and eighty-five broad; the wing measures twenty-nine, and the tail fifteen inches. The female is from one inch and a half longer, and from two to three inches broader than her mate. The plumage of this bird is of an uniform dark brown; the beak is marked towards the centre with red or violet, and the bare places on the throat with grey. The plumage of the young is glossier and darker than that of the adults, and the downy feathers on the top of the head are dirty whitish brown.

The Brown Vulture lives and breeds throughout all the most southern countries of Europe, and is met with in Africa in the regions around the Atlas Mountains. In Asia it is becoming extremely numerous, owing, it is supposed, to the rapid spread of disease amongst the cattle, whose carcases afford it a constant supply of food. The movements of this species are distinguished by a dignity that is very unusual amongst the Vultures. Its eye is fiery and intelligent, its bearing much like that of the Eagle, and its entire demeanour calm and almost majestic. Even when feeding, it exhibits none of the haste and violence observable in the Goose Vultures. Its principal food appears to be carrion, but it rarely touches the entrails, usually contenting itself with eating the flesh and swallowing the bones of the prey, which, we are told on good authority, it sometimes kills. Unlike those species above described, the Brown Vulture builds exclusively upon trees; its nest is large, and formed of thick boughs and small branches, the flat interior being lined with thin dry twigs. The one white coarse-shelled egg that constitutes the brood in size resembles that of the Goose. Both parents tend their offspring with great care, and feed it upon flesh for four months, as until that time it is unable to fly. Attempts to render this bird tractable in captivity usually prove fruitless, but instances have been lately known in which the Brown Vulture has been made so tame as to run about a farm-yard on excellent terms with its inhabitants, and to allow children to play with it.

THE CRESTED VULTURE.

The VARIEGATED or CRESTED VULTURE (_Vultur occipitalis_) is an inhabitant of Central Africa, and is now regarded as the type of a distinct group (_Lophogyps_). In this bird the entire upper part of the body, breast, and tail, are covered with black feathers, edged with brown; the region of the crop, belly, feet, and secondary quills are pure white, the primaries black. The crest is composed of white woolly down; the bare neck is blueish white, and covered in front with from eight to ten lines of small blackish warts; the eye is dark brown, the beak blackish blue at its tip, and reddish brown at its base; the lower mandible and cere are light blue; the feet pale purple, or reddish white. The plumage of the young is of an uniform dark blackish brown colour, the eye is grey, the beak red, and the foot white. This species of Crested Vulture inhabits all the woodland districts of California, where it lives either alone or in pairs, and though by no means shy, seldom ventures near towns or villages. In its general habits it closely resembles its congeners already described.

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The EARED VULTURES (_Otogyps_) may be regarded as by far the most powerful members of this voracious family; they are easily recognised by their large strong head and beak, large, broad, and slightly rounded wings, comparatively short tail, long legs, and very peculiar plumage. As respects the latter, only the upper part of the body resembles that of other Vultures, the lower portion being covered with thick, long, greyish down, interspersed with a few long, narrow, sabre-shaped feathers. The legs are covered either with a similar, but longer and reddish yellow down, or with small feathers of the usual description. The head, back of the neck, and entire front of the throat are bare, and the chin is overspread with hair-like feathers. A reddish brown of various shades predominates in the coloration of the plumage; the quills and feathers of the tail have a _dark_, and those of the large wing-covers a _light_ edge. Yellowish white feathers are often intermixed with those upon the back and nape. The young are distinguished by the darker hue of their plumage, and by the borders to the feathers on the lower part of the body being broader than in the parent birds. The eye is dark brown, the beak grey at its sides, deeper in shade upon the culmen and upon the lower mandible; the feet are light grey, as are the bare parts of the neck: the naked cheeks are violet. When the bird is excited these bare places become bright red.