They conversed1 about the vultures, as they rode away from the butte. The naturalist2 of the party had much to say of these picturesque3 birds; and the curiosity of Basil and François had been excited by the appearance of a species new to them—the king himself.
“With regard to the vultures,” observed Lucien, “the study of their natural history has been considerably4 impeded5 by the closet-naturalists7, and particularly by the Frenchmen—who are fonder than all others of making a parade of science, by the absurd multiplication8 of genera and species. This, in the absence of any real knowledge of the habits of the animals, gives them an opportunity of adding something to what has been already said; and leaves the reader under the impression that these learned anatomists know all about the thing; and that is what such gentlemen desire, and nothing more.
“There are not over two dozen species of vultures in the world; and yet the French naturalists make almost as many genera of them, multiplying high-sounding names to such an extent, that the mind of the student is quite bewildered with what would otherwise prove a most simple study.
“All the vultures are so similar in their physiognomy and habits, that they might be treated as one genus. Indeed, it would not lead to great confusion in ornithological9 science, if they were generically11 classed with the eagles—as both kinds have many points of similitude. The vultures often kill their prey12 as eagles do; and it is certain that they do not prefer it in a putrid13 state. The eagles do not always kill their prey, and many of them eat carrion14. Some of the vultures—such as the lammergeyer—have almost all the habits of the eagle. The lammergeyer always kills what he eats, unless when pressed by hunger; and there is a singular fact in relation to the food of this bird,—he prefers certain parts of the bones of animals to their flesh!”
It is somewhat strange that the boy hunter, Lucien, should have known this “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 the superb collection in Regent’s Park—who had observed this propensity15 for bone-eating in a young African lammergeyer. He had observed also that the bird was always healthier, and in better spirits, on the days when he was indulged in his favourite osseous diet. These men usually know more of natural history than the catalogue-makers and teeth-measurers of the museum and the closet.
“Perhaps,” continued Lucien, “one of the most essential points of difference between the vulture and eagle lies in the claws. The claws of the vultures are less developed, and their limbs want the muscular power that those of eagles possess. Hence the former are less able to kill a living animal, or tear the carcass of a dead one. They are unable, also, to raise a large prey in their claws; and the stories of vultures carrying off deer, and full-grown sheep, are mere16 fables17. Even the condor18—the largest of the species known—cannot lift into the air a weight of more than ten pounds. A deer of that weight would be rather a small one, I fancy. Most of the wonderful stories about the condor were propagated by the discoverers and conquerors19 of Spanish America; who, if they were great conquerors, were also the greatest braggarts the world ever saw. The books they have left behind them fully20 prove my assertion; and I believe that their accounts of the Mexican and Peruvian nations, whom they subdued21, are not a whit22 less exaggerated than their stories about the condor. Three centuries could not have so completely swept away the vestiges23 of such a civilisation24 as they describe—leaving scarcely a trace of it to attest25 the truth of their assertions. It is true, that in these countries are to be found monuments of a high state of civilisation; but these were in ruins long previous to the discovery of the Spaniards; and the feeble races who submitted so easily to the latter, knew no more about the builders of these monuments than we do. The same vestiges of a civilised people are found in the deserts of North America; and yet the Spanish writers can tell nothing of them, farther than that they existed at the period of the discovery just as they are now.”
“How many kinds of vultures are there in America?” inquired François, whose mind ran more upon the present than the past; and who, as we have already hinted, was a great boy for birds.
“There are five species well-known,” replied Lucien; “and these are so different from each other that there is no difficulty in distinguishing them. These species form two genera—Sarco ramphus and Cathartes. The Sarcoramphs have a fleshy protuberance over the beak26—hence the generic10 name, which is a compound of two Greek words, signifying flesh, and beak or bill. The Cathartes, or ‘purging-vultures,’ derive27 their name from a singular habit—that of throwing up their food again, not only when feeding their young, but also when providing for one another during the period of incubation.
“The condor is a true Sarcoramph—in fact, one of the most marked features of this bird is the fleshy cartilaginous crest28 that surmounts29 his head and part of his beak. This, however, is only found upon the males, as the female birds are not crested30 in a similar manner. The condor, when in full plumage, might be called a black-and-white bird. His body underneath31, his tail, shoulders, and the butts32 as well as the outer margins33 of his wings, are all of a dark, nearly black, colour; but his wings, when closed, give him a large space of greyish white from the back to the tail. The downy ruff around the breast and neck is milk-white, and the naked wrinkled skin of the neck and head is of a blackish red or claret colour, while the legs are ashy blue. It is only when full-grown—nearly three years old—that the condor obtains these colours; and up to that time he is without the white collar around his neck. The young birds, for many months after they are hatched, have no feathers, but a soft thick down, like young goslings or cygnets; and even at two years of age their colour is not black and white, but a dirty, brownish black.
“The full-grown condor usually measures about eight feet from tip to tip of his wings; but there can be no question that specimens36 exist, and have been seen by truthful37 travellers, that measured fourteen feet and some inches!
“The condor, like other vultures, feeds principally upon carrion; but, when pressed with hunger, he will kill sheep, lambs, vicunas, young lamas, deer, and other animals. The larger kinds he can master, by attacking their eyes with his powerful beak—which is his principal weapon. That he can kill boys of sixteen years old, as Garcilaso de la Vega asserts, is, like many other statements of that celebrated38 author, simply untrue; but that he frequently attacks, and, according to the Indians, sometimes puts to death little children, is probable enough. If he can kill full-grown sheep or vicunas, there is nothing remarkable39 about 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 ravenous40 of his species. One in a state of captivity41 has been known to eat eighteen pounds of flesh in a single 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 by Acosta, Desmarchais, and other French and Spanish writers, is altogether fabulous42.
“The condor, unlike the vultures of most countries, is not under the protection of the law. His destructive habits among the lambs, and young lamas and alpacas, render him an object to be persecuted43 rather than protected. He is, therefore, either killed or captured, whenever an opportunity offers. There can be but little use made either of his flesh or his feathers; but as he is an object of curiosity, he is often kept as a pet about the houses of the Chilians and Peruvians. Live ones are frequently to be seen in the markets of Valparaiso, and other South American 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 it alights; but it is very difficult to kill them in this way, on account of their strong thick feathers, as well as the tenacity45 of life which they possess: it can only be done when the shot takes effect in a vital part. This method, therefore, is not much practised. A second plan is, to wait until the condor has gorged46 himself to repletion47, when, like most other vultures, he is unable to fly for some time after. The hunters then gallop48 up, and lasso him from their horses; or impede6 his flight by flinging the ‘bolas’ around his legs. The ‘bolas’ are thongs50 of leather, with leaden balls at each end; and these, when adroitly51 thrown, twine52 themselves round the shanks of the condor, and prevent his escape. A third mode is still a surer one. The hunters build a large penn, in which they place a quantity of carrion. The palisades that inclose this penn are made so high, that, when the bird has gorged himself, he is unable either to rise into the air or get out of the enclosure in any way; and he is then overtaken and captured, or beaten to death with clubs.
“The Indians kill the condor by stones, projected from slings34 to a great distance—a species of weapon which these people use with much dexterity53.
“Condors54 are taken alive in traps and snares55; but there is an excellent and somewhat curious method of capturing them alive, sometimes employed by the Indians of the Sierras. It is this:—The hunter provides himself with 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 to some open place, where the condors, wheeling high in the air above, may readily see him. Having chosen a spot, he crouches56 down upon the ground, and draws the skin over him, with the fleshy side turned upward. In this situation he remains57; but not long, until some one of the condors, with his far-piercing glance, espies58 the ensanguined object, and comes swooping59 downward. The bird, having no suspicion, hops60 boldly upon the hide; and commences tearing at the piece of flesh. The hunter, underneath, now cautiously feels for one of its legs; and having assured himself of this, grasps it firmly, folding the foot of the bird in the soft loose flaps of the hide. Having already provided himself with a long rope, he adroitly nooses61 it around the ankle; and, taking the other end in his hand, he now appears from under the skin, and shows himself to his astonished captive. Of course, during the operation of ‘tethering,’ the condor flaps and struggles with all his might; and were it not for the hide which protects the hunter, the latter would be very apt to come off with the loss of an eye, or be otherwise dreadfully torn by the powerful beak of the bird. When the hunter has fairly secured his prize, he passes a leathern thong49 through its nostrils62, and knotting it firmly, leads the condor off in triumph. In this same manner the bird is kept chained, so long as he is wanted. With the string through his nostrils, and fastened by the other end to a picket-pin in the ground, the captive can walk about freely within the area of a circle. Sometimes forgetting that he is chained, he attempts to fly off; but, on reaching the end of his string, the sudden jerk brings him to the ground again; and he invariably falls upon his head!”
“But how is it,” inquired François, “since the condors are hunted in this way, and so easily captured, that they are not long since exterminated63? They are so large, that any one can see them at a great distance; and they can be easily approached, I believe; yet there are still great flocks of them—are there not?”
“You are quite right,” answered Lucien; “they are still numerous, both in the Andes of Chili44 and Peru. I think I can explain this. It is because they have a safe place, not only to breed but to retire to, whenever they feel inclined. Numerous peaks of the Andes, where these birds dwell, shoot up far above the line of perpetual snow. Away up on these summits the condor breeds, among naked rocks where there is no vegetation. No one ever thinks of ascending64 them; and, indeed, many of these summits are inaccessible65 to the human foot. Not even animals of any species are found there, nor birds—except the condor himself. He is the sole lord of that region. Therefore, unlike most other creatures, these birds have a retreat where no enemy can come near them, and where they may bring forth66 their young, and rear them in perfect security. Still more, they can go to rest at night without fear of being disturbed, unless by the crash of the falling avalanche67, or the roar of the loud thunder that often reverberates68 through these Alpine69 regions. But the condor is not in the least afraid of these noises; and he heeds70 them not, but sleeps securely, even while the red lightning is playing 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 to in time of danger, will not easily be extirpated71. It is because their places of breeding and retreat are accessible—not only to man but to hosts of other enemies—that such creatures as eagles and the like are so scarce. Not so with the condor. His race can never become extinct so long as the Andes exist; and that is likely to be for a good long period, I fancy.”
“What sort of nests do they build?” inquired François.
“They do not build nests,” replied Lucien, “they choose a cavity in the rocks, or in the soil around them, where they lay two large white oval eggs, and hatch them just as other vultures do. Strange to say, very little is known of their mode of life in their elevated haunts; but this is because the natives of the Sierras rarely venture up to the high regions where the condors dwell. All they know of them is what they see, when these great birds descend72 upon the plateaux, or inhabited mountain-valleys, in search of food—which they do only in the mornings and evenings. During mid-day the condor usually perches73 upon some high rock, and there goes to sleep. When pressed by hunger, they sometimes extend their range down to the hot coast lands of the Pacific Ocean; but they are evidently birds that can bear cold much better than heat.
“The King-vulture,” continued Lucien, “is the next species that claims our attention. He is also a Sarcoramph (Sarcoramphus Papa), and the only one of that genus besides the condor. He is unlike the condor in many respects. He is not much of a mountain bird, but prefers the low savannas74 and open plains. He prefers heat to cold, and he is rarely met with outside the tropics, although he makes occasional visits to the peninsula of Florida and the northern plains of Mexico; but in these places he is only a rare and migratory75 bird. He feeds principally upon carrion, and dead fish that have been left by the drying-up of ponds and lakes; but he will also kill and eat serpents, lizards76, and small mammiferous animals. Bartram states that in Florida he only appears after the savannas have been on fire, when he is seen to pass over the ground amidst the black ashes, hunting for and devouring77 the snakes and lizards that have been killed by the fire. Bartram, therefore, infers that his food must consist altogether of roasted reptiles79; but as it would be sometimes difficult for him to procure80 a supply of these ready-cooked, I think we may safely conclude that he does not object to eating them raw. The fanciful ideas of these old naturalists are sometimes very amusing from their very absurdity81.
“The king-vultures live in pairs as eagles do—though they are often seen in flocks, when a carcass or some other object has brought them together.
“This bird has been called the ‘painted’ vulture on account of the brilliant colours upon his head and neck, which do, in fact, present the appearance of the most vivid painting. He derives82 his name of a ‘King-vulture,’ not from the possession of any noble qualities, but from the manner in which he tyrannises over the common vultures (aura and atratus), keeping them from their food until he has gorged himself with the choicest morsels83. 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 of the north.’ He is classed among the purging-vultures (Cathartes Californianus). This bird may be called black, as he is nearly of that hue84 all over the body; although some of the secondary wing feathers are white at the tips, and the coverts85 are brown. Black, however, is the prevailing86 colour of the bird. His naked head and neck is reddish; but he wants the crest or comb, which the condors and king-vultures have. On the posterior part of his neck, long lance-shaped feathers form a sort of ruff or collar, as in other birds of this kind.
“The Californian vulture derives his name from the country which he inhabits—the great chain of the Californian mountains—the Sierra Nevada—which extends almost without interruption through twenty degrees of latitude87. That he sometimes visits the Rocky Mountains, and their kindred the Cordilleras of the Sierra Madre in Mexico, there can be little doubt. A large bird occasionally seen among these mountains, and pronounced to be the condor, is far more likely to have been the Californian vulture. As far as size is concerned, this mistake might easily be made, for the latter bird is nearly, if not quite, as large as the former. A specimen35 of the Californian vulture has been measured, which proved to be four feet eight inches in length, and nine feet eight inches between the tips of the wings! Now, this is actually larger than the average size of the condors; and it is not improbable, therefore, that individuals of the Californian species may yet be found quite equal to the largest of the South American birds.
“The Californian vulture has been seen as far north as the thirty-ninth parallel of latitude. He is common in some parts of Oregon, where he makes his nest in the tops of the tallest trees, constructing it of coarse thorny88 twigs89 and brambles, somewhat after the manner of eagles. As many of the great spruce and pine-trees of Oregon and California are three hundred feet in height, and twenty feet thick at the base, this vulture is almost as secure among their tops as the condor on his mountain summit; but to render himself doubly safe, he always selects such trees as overhang inaccessible cliffs or rapid rivers. The female lays only two eggs, which are nearly jet-black, and as large as those of a goose; and the young, like those of the condor, are for many weeks covered with down instead of feathers. Like other vultures, the food of this species is carrion or dead fish; but he will follow after wounded deer and other animals, and commence devouring them as soon as they have dropped; and a score of these birds will devour78 the carcass of a deer, or even of a horse or mule90, in about one hour’s time, leaving nothing but a well-cleaned skeleton! While eating, they are strong enough and bold enough to keep at a distance wolves, dogs, and all such animals as may attempt to share with them.
“Perhaps no bird of the vulture species is so shy and wary91 as this one. Except when he is gorged with eating, he will never allow the hunter to approach within shot; and even then, his thick heavy plumage renders him most difficult to be killed. His wings are full and long, and his flight is most graceful92 and easy, not unlike that of his congener the turkey-buzzard.
“I have said,” continued Lucien, “that naturalists make out five species of American vultures. The remaining two, the turkey-buzzard and black vulture, or, as he is sometimes called, the ‘carrion-crow,’ we have already had before us; but, I believe, there are more than five species on 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 South America is the same as the turkey-buzzard of the north. He is, more probably, a distinct species of cathartes; for, although he resembles the turkey-buzzard in shape and size, his plumage appears to me of a purer black, and the skin of his head, neck, and legs, of a much more vivid red—having an appearance as if these parts had been painted. I think naturalists will yet discover, that besides the great Californian vulture, there are three if not four species of the smaller cathartes.”
So much for the vultures of America.
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1
conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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impede
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止 | |
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naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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ornithological
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| adj.鸟类学的 | |
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generic
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| adj.一般的，普通的，共有的 | |
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generically
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| adv.一般地 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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putrid
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| adj.腐臭的；有毒的；已腐烂的；卑劣的 | |
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carrion
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| n.腐肉 | |
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propensity
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| n.倾向；习性 | |
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mere
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fables
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| n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说 | |
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condor
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| n.秃鹰；秃鹰金币 | |
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conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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vestiges
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| 残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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crest
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surmounts
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| 战胜( surmount的第三人称单数 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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crested
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| adj.有顶饰的，有纹章的，有冠毛的v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的过去式和过去分词 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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butts
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| 笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂 | |
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margins
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| 边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数 | |
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slings
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| 抛( sling的第三人称单数 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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chili
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| n.辣椒 | |
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tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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gorged
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的过去式和过去分词 )；作呕 | |
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repletion
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| n.充满，吃饱 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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50
thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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condors
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| n.神鹰( condor的名词复数 ) | |
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snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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crouches
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| n.蹲着的姿势( crouch的名词复数 )v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的第三人称单数 ) | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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espies
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| v.看到( espy的第三人称单数 ) | |
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swooping
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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hops
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| 跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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nooses
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| n.绞索，套索( noose的名词复数 ) | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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exterminated
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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reverberates
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的第三人称单数 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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alpine
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| adj.高山的；n.高山植物 | |
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heeds
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| n.留心，注意，听从( heed的名词复数 )v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的第三人称单数 ) | |
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extirpated
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| v.消灭，灭绝( extirpate的过去式和过去分词 )；根除 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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perches
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| 栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼 | |
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savannas
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| n.（美国东南部的）无树平原( savanna的名词复数 )；（亚）热带的稀树大草原 | |
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migratory
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| n.候鸟，迁移 | |
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lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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derives
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| v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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morsels
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| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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coverts
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| n.隐蔽的，不公开的，秘密的( covert的名词复数 )；复羽 | |
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prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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thorny
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| adj.多刺的，棘手的 | |
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twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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