270 MILVUS REGALIS. 



parts of Devonshire. Thus, although the species is not widely 

 extended on the Continent, being found from Norway to Italy, 

 and thus is not peculiarly a northern bird, it is more abundant 

 in the middle districts of Scotland than in any part of Eng- 

 land, where, owing to the care bestowed on the preservation of 

 game, it has less chance of thriving than in a wilder country. 



The flight of this bird is remarkably elegant, the lightness of 

 its body, and the proportionally great extent of the wings and 

 tail, producing a buoyancy which reminds one of the mode of 

 flying of the Gulls and Jagers. When searching for food, it 

 moves along at a moderate height, wheeling and gliding in an 

 undulatory course, and proceeding at intervals with motionless 

 wings. Like the Buzzard and Eagles, it sometimes soars to a 

 great elevation, gliding in circles, and sailing gracefully with 

 outspread wings and partially expanded tail, the peculiar form 

 of v/hich renders it recognisable even at a very great distance. 

 All the hawks which prey chiefly on mice, lizards, and other 

 small animals which they seize when on the ground, have a 

 habit of fixing themselves at intervals in the air, apparently for 

 the purpose of examining the space beneath them, and this re- 

 markable character is observed in the Kite, although it is not 

 so decided as in the Kestrel. " One cannot," says Buftbn, 

 " but admire the manner in which the flight of the Kite is 

 performed ; his long and narrow wings seem motionless ; it is 

 his tail that seems to direct all his evolutions, and he moves it 

 continually ; he rises without effort, comes down as if he were 

 sliding along an inclined plane ; he seems rather to swim than 

 to fly ; he darts forward, slackens his speed, stops, and remains 

 suspended or fixed in the same place for whole hours, without 

 exhibiting the smallest motion of his wings."" This mode of 

 flying is very different from that of the heavy-bodied, compact, 

 pointed-winged Falcons, which speed along with quick beats 

 of the wings, pursue their prey in open flight, and seldom at- 

 tack a bird on the ground. The Kite on the contrary usually 

 obtains its food there, for, as it consists for the most part of 

 snakes, lizards, frogs, small mammalia, and young birds, it 

 cannot gratify those observers wdio are pleased with nothing 

 less than the dashing flight of the fierce Peregrine, and are 



