RED KITE. 271 



profuse in contemptuous epithets when speaking of those hawks 

 which, being furnished with very long rounded wings, are not 

 well able to overtake a bird in open flight. Occasionally it 

 feeds on carrion, dead fish, and insects, as well as worms, and 

 has been accused of destroying young lambs, and committing 

 depredations on poultry. But little apprehension is now neces- 

 sary on the latter score, and in truth the Sparrow Hawk is the 

 kite of the farm-yard. A writer in Mr Loudon's Magazine of 

 Natural History says he has frequently seen a kite come from the 

 forest at Blois to fish in the Loire, which it seemed to do with 

 much success, seldom appearing to miss its prey ; and both on 

 the continent and in this country it has been seen feeding on 

 dead fish. 



Very contradictory accounts of the moral and physical powers 

 of this bird have been given by authors. Thus, Willughby re- 

 presents its audacity as such as to render it an object of appre- 

 hension and hatred to housewives on account of its depredations 

 on poultry ; and Montagu relates that one was so intent on 

 obtaining some chickens from a coop, as to afford a servant 

 girl an opportunity of knocking it down with a broom. The 

 same author states that a kite, v*'hich had been for some time 

 hovering over a woman who was washing some entrails in a 

 stream, came down and carried oif a portion of them that ex- 

 tended some yards into the water, in spite of all her efforts to. 

 frighten it away. These are acts of courage or audacity ; but 

 then they are met with remarks on the cowardly character of 

 a bird which allows itself to be defeated by the Sparrow Hawk, 

 and intimidated even by a clucking hen. The following cha- 

 racter by M. Valmont Bomare is of a mixed kind, and in most 

 respects, I believe, not incorrect. " The Kite, when it flies, 

 extends its long wings and balances itself in the air, where it 

 remains a long time in a manner motionless, without its wino-s 

 appearing to be agitated ; but it directs at its will all its mo- 

 tions by those of its tail ; always master of its flight, it quickens 

 or slackens it, shoots along or remains suspended in the same 

 point, according to circumstances. Its sight is very penetratino-. 

 This powerful bird pursues only field-mice and young birds ; 

 in defect of these it pounces on reptiles, even grasshoppers, 



