CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
MORE TALK ABOUT THE VULTURES.
They conversed about the vultures, as they rode away from the butte.The naturalist of the party had much to say of these picturesque birds;and the curiosity of Basil and Francois had been excited by theappearance of a species new to them--the king himself.
"With regard to the vultures," observed Lucien, "the study of theirnatural history has been considerably impeded by the closet-naturalists,and particularly by the Frenchmen--who are fonder than all others ofmaking a parade of science, by the absurd multiplication of genera andspecies. This, in the absence of any real knowledge of the habits ofthe animals, gives them an opportunity of adding something to what hasbeen already said; and leaves the reader under the impression that theselearned anatomists know all about the thing; and that is what suchgentlemen desire, and nothing more.
"There are not over two dozen species of vultures in the world; and yetthe French naturalists make almost as many genera of them, multiplyinghigh-sounding names to such an extent, that the mind of the student isquite bewildered with what would otherwise prove a most simple study.
"All the vultures are so similar in their _physiognomy_ and habits, thatthey might be treated as one genus. Indeed, it would not lead to greatconfusion in ornithological science, if they were generically classedwith the eagles--as both kinds have many points of similitude. Thevultures often kill their prey as eagles do; and it is certain that theydo _not_ prefer it in a putrid state. The eagles do not always killtheir prey, and many of them eat carrion. Some of the vultures--such asthe lammergeyer--have almost all the habits of the eagle. Thelammergeyer always kills what he eats, unless when pressed by hunger;and there is a singular fact in relation to the food of this bird,--heprefers certain parts of the bones of animals to their flesh!"
It is somewhat strange that the boy hunter, Lucien, should have knownthis "fact," as I believe it is not in possession of the naturalists.I, myself, was made acquainted with it by one of the "feeders" of thesuperb collection in Regent's Park--who had observed this propensity forbone-eating in a young African lammergeyer. He had observed also thatthe bird was always healthier, and in better spirits, on the days whenhe was indulged in his favourite osseous diet. These men usually knowmore of natural history than the catalogue-makers and teeth-measurers ofthe museum and the closet.
"Perhaps," continued Lucien, "one of the most essential points ofdifference between the vulture and eagle lies in the claws. The clawsof the vultures are less developed, and their limbs want the muscularpower that those of eagles possess. Hence the former are less able tokill a living animal, or tear the carcass of a dead one. They areunable, also, to raise a large prey in their claws; and the stories ofvultures carrying off deer, and full-grown sheep, are mere fables. Eventhe condor--the largest of the species known--cannot lift into the air aweight of more than ten pounds. A deer of that weight would be rather asmall one, I fancy. Most of the wonderful stories about the condor werepropagated by the discoverers and conquerors of Spanish America; who, ifthey were great conquerors, were also the greatest braggarts the worldever saw. The books they have left behind them fully prove myassertion; and I believe that their accounts of the Mexican and Peruviannations, whom they subdued, are not a whit less exaggerated than theirstories about the condor. Three centuries could not have so completelyswept away the vestiges of such a civilisation as they describe--leavingscarcely a trace of it to attest the truth of their assertions. It istrue, that in these countries are to be found monuments of a high stateof civilisation; but these were in ruins long previous to the discoveryof the Spaniards; and the feeble races who submitted so easily to thelatter, knew no more about the builders of these monuments than we do.The same vestiges of a civilised people are found in the deserts ofNorth America; and yet the Spanish writers can tell nothing of them,farther than that they existed at the period of the discovery just asthey are now."
"How many kinds of vultures are there in America?" inquired Francois,whose mind ran more upon the present than the past; and who, as we havealready hinted, was a great boy for birds.
"There are five species well-known," replied Lucien; "and these are sodifferent from each other that there is no difficulty in distinguishingthem. These species form two genera--_Sarco ramphus_ and _Cathartes_.The _Sarcoramphs_ have a fleshy protuberance over the beak--hence thegeneric name, which is a compound of two Greek words, signifying_flesh_, and _beak_ or _bill_. The _Cathartes_, or `purging-vultures,'derive their name from a singular habit--that of throwing up their foodagain, not only when feeding their young, but also when providing forone another during the period of incubation.
"The condor is a true _Sarcoramph_--in fact, one of the most markedfeatures of this bird is the fleshy cartilaginous crest that surmountshis head and part of his beak. This, however, is only found upon themales, as the female birds are not crested in a similar manner. Thecondor, when in full plumage, might be called a black-and-white bird.His body underneath, his tail, shoulders, and the butts as well as theouter margins of his wings, are all of a dark, nearly black, colour; buthis wings, when closed, give him a large space of greyish white from theback to the tail. The downy ruff around the breast and neck ismilk-white, and the naked wrinkled skin of the neck and head is of ablackish red or claret colour, while the legs are ashy blue. It is onlywhen full-grown--nearly three years old--that the condor obtains thesecolours; and up to that time he is without the white collar around hisneck. The young birds, for many months after they are hatched, have nofeathers, but a soft thick down, like young goslings or cygnets; andeven at two years of age their colour is not black and white, but adirty, brownish black.
"The full-grown condor usually measures about eight feet from tip to tipof his wings; but there can be no question that specimens exist, andhave been seen by truthful travellers, that measured fourteen feet andsome inches!
"The condor, like other vultures, feeds principally upon carrion; but,when pressed with hunger, he will kill sheep, lambs, vicunas, younglamas, deer, and other animals. The larger kinds he can master, byattacking their eyes with his powerful beak--which is his principalweapon. That he can kill boys of sixteen years old, as Garcilaso de laVega asserts, is, like many other statements of that celebrated author,simply untrue; but that he frequently attacks, and, according to theIndians, sometimes _puts to death_ little children, is probable enough.If he can kill full-grown sheep or vicunas, there is nothing remarkableabout his doing the same for a child five or six years of age; and,indeed, it is certain that such instances have occurred.
"Almost any eagles can do as much, and would, provided they were hungry,and children were left exposed in the neighbourhood of their haunts.The condor, however, is one of the most ravenous of his species. One ina state of captivity has been known to eat eighteen pounds of flesh in asingle day! But that this bird can raise into the air with his claws,and carry off large animals, such as deer and sheep, as asserted byAcosta, Desmarchais, and other French and Spanish writers, is altogetherfabulous.
"The condor, unlike the vultures of most countries, is not under theprotection of the law. His destructive habits among the lambs, andyoung lamas and alpacas, render him an object to be persecuted ratherthan protected. He is, therefore, either killed or captured, wheneveran opportunity offers. There can be but little use made either of hisflesh or his feathers; but as he is an object of curiosity, he is oftenkept as a pet about the houses of the Chilians and Peruvians. Live onesare frequently to be seen in the markets of Valparaiso, and other SouthAmerican cities.
"The natives who hunt the condor have various ways of capturing him.Sometimes they lie in wait near a carcass, and shoot the bird when italights; but it is very difficult to kill them in this way, on accountof their strong thick feathers, as well as the tenacity of life whichthey possess: it can only be done when the shot takes effect in a vitalpart. This method, therefore, is not much practised. A second plan is,to wait until the condor has gorged hi
mself to repletion, when, likemost other vultures, he is unable to fly for some time after. Thehunters then gallop up, and lasso him from their horses; or impede hisflight by flinging the `bolas' around his legs. The `bolas' are thongsof leather, with leaden balls at each end; and these, when adroitlythrown, twine themselves round the shanks of the condor, and prevent hisescape. A third mode is still a surer one. The hunters build a largepenn, in which they place a quantity of carrion. The palisades thatinclose this penn are made so high, that, when the bird has gorgedhimself, he is unable either to rise into the air or get out of theenclosure in any way; and he is then overtaken and captured, or beatento death with clubs.
"The Indians kill the condor by stones, projected from slings to a greatdistance--a species of weapon which these people use with muchdexterity.
"Condors are taken alive in traps and snares; but there is an excellentand somewhat curious method of capturing them alive, sometimes employedby the Indians of the Sierras. It is this:--The hunter provides himselfwith the skin of some animal, such as an ox or horse, freshly taken off,and with a piece of the flesh adhering to it. With this he proceeds tosome open place, where the condors, wheeling high in the air above, mayreadily see him. Having chosen a spot, he crouches down upon theground, and draws the skin over him, with the fleshy side turned upward.In this situation he remains; but not long, until some one of thecondors, with his far-piercing glance, espies the ensanguined object,and comes swooping downward. The bird, having no suspicion, hops boldlyupon the hide; and commences tearing at the piece of flesh. The hunter,underneath, now cautiously feels for one of its legs; and having assuredhimself of this, grasps it firmly, folding the foot of the bird in thesoft loose flaps of the hide. Having already provided himself with along rope, he adroitly nooses it around the ankle; and, taking the otherend in his hand, he now appears from under the skin, and shows himselfto his astonished captive. Of course, during the operation of`tethering,' the condor flaps and struggles with all his might; and wereit not for the hide which protects the hunter, the latter would be veryapt to come off with the loss of an eye, or be otherwise dreadfully tornby the powerful beak of the bird. When the hunter has fairly securedhis prize, he passes a leathern thong through its nostrils, and knottingit firmly, leads the condor off in triumph. In this same manner thebird is kept chained, so long as he is wanted. With the string throughhis nostrils, and fastened by the other end to a picket-pin in theground, the captive can walk about freely within the area of a circle.Sometimes forgetting that he is chained, he attempts to fly off; but, onreaching the end of his string, the sudden jerk brings him to the groundagain; and he invariably falls upon his head!"
"But how is it," inquired Francois, "since the condors are hunted inthis way, and so easily captured, that they are not long sinceexterminated? They are so large, that any one can see them at a greatdistance; and they can be easily approached, I believe; yet there arestill great flocks of them--are there not?"
"You are quite right," answered Lucien; "they are still numerous, bothin the Andes of Chili and Peru. I think I can explain this. It isbecause they have a safe place, not only to breed but to retire to,whenever they feel inclined. Numerous peaks of the Andes, where thesebirds dwell, shoot up far above the line of perpetual snow. Away up onthese summits the condor breeds, among naked rocks where there is novegetation. No one ever thinks of ascending them; and, indeed, many ofthese summits are inaccessible to the human foot. Not even animals ofany species are found there, nor birds--except the condor himself. Heis the sole lord of that region. Therefore, unlike most othercreatures, these birds have a retreat where no enemy can come near them,and where they may bring forth their young, and rear them in perfectsecurity. Still more, they can go to rest at night without fear ofbeing disturbed, unless by the crash of the falling avalanche, or theroar of the loud thunder that often reverberates through these Alpineregions. But the condor is not in the least afraid of these noises; andhe heeds them not, but sleeps securely, even while the red lightning isplaying around his eyrie.
"Now, it is very evident that birds, or any other wild animals,possessing a secure place, both to bring forth their young or escape toin time of danger, will not easily be extirpated. It is because theirplaces of breeding and retreat are accessible--not only to man but tohosts of other enemies--that such creatures as eagles and the like areso scarce. Not so with the condor. His race can never become extinctso long as the Andes exist; and that is likely to be for a good longperiod, I fancy."
"What sort of nests do they build?" inquired Francois.
"They do not build nests," replied Lucien, "they choose a cavity in therocks, or in the soil around them, where they lay two large white ovaleggs, and hatch them just as other vultures do. Strange to say, verylittle is known of their mode of life in their elevated haunts; but thisis because the natives of the Sierras rarely venture up to the highregions where the condors dwell. All they know of them is what theysee, when these great birds descend upon the plateaux, or inhabitedmountain-valleys, in search of food--which they do only in the morningsand evenings. During mid-day the condor usually perches upon some highrock, and there goes to sleep. When pressed by hunger, they sometimesextend their range down to the hot coast lands of the Pacific Ocean; butthey are evidently birds that can bear cold much better than heat.
"The _King-vulture_," continued Lucien, "is the next species that claimsour attention. He is also a Sarcoramph (_Sarcoramphus Papa_), and theonly one of that genus besides the condor. He is unlike the condor inmany respects. He is not much of a mountain bird, but prefers the lowsavannas and open plains. He prefers heat to cold, and he is rarely metwith outside the tropics, although he makes occasional visits to thepeninsula of Florida and the northern plains of Mexico; but in theseplaces he is only a rare and migratory bird. He feeds principally uponcarrion, and dead fish that have been left by the drying-up of ponds andlakes; but he will also kill and eat serpents, lizards, and smallmammiferous animals. Bartram states that in Florida he only appearsafter the savannas have been on fire, when he is seen to pass over theground amidst the black ashes, hunting for and devouring the snakes andlizards that have been killed by the fire. Bartram, therefore, infersthat his food must consist altogether of _roasted_ reptiles; but as itwould be sometimes difficult for him to procure a supply of theseready-cooked, I think we may safely conclude that he does not object toeating them _raw_. The fanciful ideas of these old naturalists aresometimes very amusing from their very absurdity.
"The king-vultures live in pairs as eagles do--though they are oftenseen in flocks, when a carcass or some other object has brought themtogether.
"This bird has been called the `painted' vulture on account of thebrilliant colours upon his head and neck, which do, in fact, present theappearance of the most vivid painting. He derives his name of a`King-vulture,' not from the possession of any noble qualities, but fromthe manner in which he tyrannises over the _common_ vultures (_aura_ and_atratus_), keeping them from their food until he has gorged himselfwith the choicest morsels. In this sense the name is most appropriate;as such conduct presents a striking analogy to that of most human kings,towards the _common_ people.
"Next to the condor in size," continued the naturalist, "and, perhaps,quite equal to him, is the great _Californian vulture_--the `condor ofthe north.' He is classed among the purging-vultures (_CathartesCalifornianus_). This bird may be called black, as he is nearly of thathue all over the body; although some of the secondary wing feathers arewhite at the tips, and the coverts are brown. Black, however, is theprevailing colour of the bird. His naked head and neck is reddish; buthe wants the crest or comb, which the condors and king-vultures have.On the posterior part of his neck, long lance-shaped feathers form asort of ruff or collar, as in other birds of this kind.
"The Californian vulture derives his name from the country which heinhabits--the great chain of the Californian mountains--the SierraNevada--which extends almost without interruption through twe
nty degreesof latitude. That he sometimes visits the Rocky Mountains, and theirkindred the Cordilleras of the Sierra Madre in Mexico, there can belittle doubt. A large bird occasionally seen among these mountains, andpronounced to be the condor, is far more likely to have been theCalifornian vulture. As far as size is concerned, this mistake mighteasily be made, for the latter bird is nearly, if not quite, as large asthe former. A specimen of the Californian vulture has been measured,which proved to be four feet eight inches in length, and nine feet eightinches between the tips of the wings! Now, this is actually larger thanthe average size of the condors; and it is not improbable, therefore,that individuals of the Californian species may yet be found quite equalto the largest of the South American birds.
"The Californian vulture has been seen as far north as the thirty-ninthparallel of latitude. He is common in some parts of Oregon, where hemakes his nest in the tops of the tallest trees, constructing it ofcoarse thorny twigs and brambles, somewhat after the manner of eagles.As many of the great spruce and pine-trees of Oregon and California arethree hundred feet in height, and twenty feet thick at the base, thisvulture is almost as secure among their tops as the condor on hismountain summit; but to render himself doubly safe, he always selectssuch trees as overhang inaccessible cliffs or rapid rivers. The femalelays only two eggs, which are nearly jet-black, and as large as those ofa goose; and the young, like those of the condor, are for many weekscovered with down instead of feathers. Like other vultures, the food ofthis species is carrion or dead fish; but he will follow after woundeddeer and other animals, and commence devouring them as soon as they havedropped; and a score of these birds will devour the carcass of a deer,or even of a horse or mule, in about one hour's time, leaving nothingbut a well-cleaned skeleton! While eating, they are strong enough andbold enough to keep at a distance wolves, dogs, and all such animals asmay attempt to share with them.
"Perhaps no bird of the vulture species is so shy and wary as this one.Except when he is gorged with eating, he will never allow the hunter toapproach within shot; and even then, his thick heavy plumage renders himmost difficult to be killed. His wings are full and long, and hisflight is most graceful and easy, not unlike that of his congener theturkey-buzzard.
"I have said," continued Lucien, "that naturalists make out five speciesof American vultures. The remaining two, the turkey-buzzard and blackvulture, or, as he is sometimes called, the `carrion-crow,' we havealready had before us; but, I believe, there are more than five specieson the continent of America. There is a bird in Guayana called the`gavilucho,' which I believe to be a vulture differing from all these;and, moreover, I do not think that the `red-headed gallinazo' of SouthAmerica is the same as the turkey-buzzard of the north. He is, moreprobably, a distinct species of _cathartes_; for, although he resemblesthe turkey-buzzard in shape and size, his plumage appears to me of apurer black, and the skin of his head, neck, and legs, of a much morevivid red--having an appearance as if these parts had been painted. Ithink naturalists will yet discover, that besides the great Californianvulture, there are three if not _four_ species of the smaller_cathartes_."
So much for the vultures of America.