8 THE CONDOR VoL. X eleven feet four inches being the largest I have collected. This was secured on the Loma Pelon Mountains in Santa Barbara County." In some of our works on ornithology, the authors seem to think that the Cali- forniacondor lays two eggs, altho there is no authority for such a statement, ex- cept by analogy with the turkey-buzzard. One collector states, "I know pesitively of three instances where they laid but one egg and no instance where they laid more than one. I have talked with other men that know and they say they lay only one egg at a setting, which I am satis- fied is right." Another collector gives these facts, "A condor never lays a second egg in the same season. I have taken eight of them, and never more than one in a nest. Most people think that the bird lays two eggs. I have investigated sev- eral such stories and always found them to be buzzards' nests." Major Bendire gives credence to an old wood-chopper who says he saw a eondor's nest which was a huge affair, about seventy-five feet from the ground, on the first limb of a redwood tree. The place was near his camp where he had ex- cellent chances of observation. He said that there were two young, and they were nearly three weeks learning to fly. To any one who has studied condor habits, this story discredits itself. Fourteen different eggs of the California condor show the following measure- ments in inches: 2.48x4.08, 2.$3x4.28, 2.55x4.39, 2.58x4.57, 2.59x4.52, 2.60x- 4.30, 2.62x4.38, 2.62x4.44, 2.62x4.52, 2.65x4.40, 2.68x4.28, 2.68x4.50, 2.70x4.50, and 2.73x4.22. The size and strength of the condor have often been exaggerated. There have
been many absurd stories about these birds killing sheep and other animals. A
short time ago I saw an account in a daily paper of where a hunter claimed he saw a condor sailing away with a hind quarter of venison in its talons. Mr. Alexan- der Taylor makes the statement that this vulture has been known to kill and carry off a hare in its daws. It is extremely doubtful that one of these birds would ever attack a living animal. The habit of this vulture is to wait till after death. As to the eondor's carrying its prey, this is easily discredited by a study of the condor foot. The daws are blunt and weak, and the foot is not adapted for grasping or carrying as an ordinary bird of prey. In regard to the range of the California condor, it is sure to be somewhat vague as long as we have wide stretches of rough mountainous regions in the West where little or no study has been given. Beginning at the south, Mr. Nelson and Mr. Anthony both record the bird in Lower California. Mr. Anthouy states, "I found the bird more or less common along the extension of the San Bernardino Mountains, that are known in Lower California as the Lagoona Range. I often saw as many as three at a time, but never shot any. I have not fouud its nest, nor could the natives of that section give me any information. Some told me that it nested in the crags on the east side of San Pedro, which may very likely be true, but I doubt any one's being able to prove it. The Indians and Mexicans use the large quills from the wings to carry gold dust, and seldom allow a condor to escape." Altho we have plenty of records of the condor in Lower California, we have none directly across the Gulf in Mexico proper. Mr. Ridgway states, "I do not know of any Mexican or Central American record of the California vulture. There are several from Lower California, but none from Mexico proper." Among the earlier records, the bird was reported in Arizona, and it was said it had been seen as far east as Utah, but this last was rather vague. Mr. Herbert Brown who was stationed at Fort Yuma for some time, and has
