136 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



from Brigliton, near the London road ; being only 

 winged, it was kept alive for some time in a gar- 

 den. I had no opportunity of examining it, either 

 at that time or after its death, as the preservation 

 of the skin had been neglected; but from the ac- 

 counts which I received from persons who had 

 frequently seen it, and who particularly noticed 

 the forked tail, I have no doubt that it was an 

 example of that now rare visitor, the kite. 



I have ascertained that this species was compa- 

 ratively common in Sussex, about the beginning 

 of this century. All the old inhabitants of the 

 weald remember the " forky -tailed kite/' but T am 

 sorry to say, that among the rural population of 

 that district its disappearance is not so much a 

 matter of regret as with ornithologists ; they still 

 speak of it as the most fearless marauder of the 

 whole tribe of predatorial birds; and say that 

 such was its partiality for juvenile poultry, that 

 having once favoured any particular farm-yard 

 with a domiciliary visit, its attentions were sure 

 to be continued, unless shot or trapped in the in- 

 terim, as long as a single young chicken remained 

 to follow the hens : — 



" * * Le Milan, manifeste voleur, 

 Eut repandu ralarme en tout le voisinage, 

 Et fait crier sur lui les enfans du village." 



La Fontaine. 



