BUZZARDS AXD KITES. 175 



as a retriever in finding wounded pheasants that would 

 otherwise have got away. The old British kite, Milviis 

 regalis or icfimis, once so common, now so rare, was K-nown 

 as the gled or glead, from its gliding movement, and was, I 

 imagine, somewhat more active than the black-eared variety 

 we have here in the winter. In olden time the kite was a 

 protected scavenger in the streets of London, as he still is 

 in many places in India and China. Under such circumstances 

 he becomes as audacious as the Ceylonese rook or jackdaw, 

 and will even snatch food out of the very hands of men who 

 are unwary. Bones and bits of offal are fought for by kites 

 and pariah dogs, the power of combination amongst the biped 

 robbers being sometimes too much for the greater strength 

 and holding power of the canine. A vigorous rear attack, 

 culminating perhaps in a vicious peck or two from those 

 terrible beaks, induces the dog to quit his prey for an instant 

 in order to inflict condign punishment on his tormentors. 

 But that is exactly what the wily kites desire. Whilst the 

 attention of the dog is taken by the enemies in the rear, those 

 in front secure the booty and fly off with it. The kite, 

 however, does not depend entirely on carrion for existence: 

 he kills for himself when opportunity offers, his prey being 

 generally some of the smaller mammals ashore, or fish afloat. 

 The frequent swoop over the water which we so often see on 

 the Huangpu may at times mean the capture of surface 

 feeding fish, though as a rule it is probably nothing more 

 than the picking up of floating rubbish. 



Chil, the kite, whom Kipling so frequently mentions in 

 his Jungle stories, is Milviis govinda, a smaller cousin to 

 M. melanotis. Pere David tells us that this species is rare on 

 the coast, though common in the southern partsof China. I am 

 inclined to think that I once sav/ a specimen sailing about 

 over the harbour and lower rocks of Liu-kung-tao at 

 Wei-hai-wei. If Mr. Johnston, having given us so excellent 

 an account of Chinese lore based on that British possession, 

 would now devote a little time to the fauna and flora of the 

 northern districts he would deserve the gratitude of every 

 lover of natural history. There is certainly a kite there 

 during the warmer months which, though not altogether 

 unlike the black-eared, is somewhat smaller and jnore ruddy 

 on the back. It may be a mere variety. I cannot say for 

 certain, as my visits to the island have been short and at 

 long intervals. 



The black-winged kite is by far the handsomest of the 

 family out here. He, however, belongs to another branch, 

 and is known classically as Elantis coendeiis from the bluish 

 tinge of his plumage. He is common in the south of China, 

 and comes at least as far north as Chekiang to nest amongst 



