THE SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 109 



evei'. The nest 13 usually placed on the top branches of the tallest oak or pine-tree, 

 situated on the margin of a stream or pond. It resembles that of a common crow 

 extremely, being formed of dry sticks, intermixed -with Spanish moss, and is lined with 

 coarse gi-asses and a few feathers. The eggs are from fom* to six, of a greenish white 

 colom-, with a few in-egiUar blotches of dark brown at the larger end. The male and 

 the female sit altemately, the one feeding the other. The young are at first covered 

 with a buft-coloured down ; their next covering exhibits the pm-e white and black of the 

 old birds, but without any of the glossy pui-plish tints of the latter. The tail, which at 

 fii-st is but sHghtly forked, becomes more so in a few weeks, and at the approach of 

 autumn exhibits little diiference from that of the adult birds. The plumage is completed 

 the first spring. 



One of these bii-ds was taken and kiUed at Balachoahsh, in Argyleshire, in 1772 ; and 

 another was captured alive in Shaw-gill, near Hawes, in Wensleydale, in Yorkshire, in 

 1805. The latter is said, apparently to avoid the violence of a tremendous thunder- 

 storm, and the clamorous persecution of a flock of rooks which attacked it at the same 

 instant, to have taken shelter in a thicket, where it was seized before it could extricate 

 itself. It was not long, however, before it escaped from its captivity. 



We add a brief description of two other hawks. The Falco hidentatus of Latham 

 inhabits Brazil and Guiana. It is sometimes called the Notched falcon. Above it is 

 gray, and brighter on the head and cheeks ; beneath it is reddish, rayed with white ; 

 the throat and lower coverts are white ; the bill is ash-gi-ay ; the feet and cere yellow. 

 Its length is fourteen inches. 



The other bird* is as large as a sparrow-hawk ; the plumage is soft and silky ; the 

 tail but little forked, a sky-white above, white miderneath, with the small curvatm-e of 

 the wings blackish. The yoimg is brown, varied with yellow. This bird is common 

 from Egypt to the Cape. It is also found in America, India, and New Holland. It himts 

 little else than insects. 



* Falco Menalopterus. — Daud. 



