THE TRUE KITES. 167 



Adult Female.— Similar to the male. Total length, 24 inches ; 

 wing, 1 6 '8. 



Range in Great Britain. — The Swallow-tailed Kite is so firmly 

 established in the British list of birds, that to omit it would 

 seem to be a mistake, and yet the claims of the species to be 

 considered British are of the very slenderest. Two specimens 

 have been recorded : one in Argyllshire in 1772, and another 

 in 1823. The latter bird was captured alive, but made its 

 escape, so that I believe I am correct in saying that no 

 authentic British example of the Swallow-tailed Kite exists in 

 any private collection or public museum in this country. 



Range outside the British Islands. — The range of this species 

 in North America is given by Mr. Ridgway as extending 

 over the tropical and warm-temperate portions of continental 

 America, north in the interior regularly to Iowa, Minnesota, 

 Illinois, &c., along the Atlantic coast casually to Pennsylvania 

 and Southern New England. In winter the species migrates 

 to Brazil. 



Habits. — A very graceful bird on the wing, soaring to a 

 great height. It appears from Audubon's notes, to be gre- 

 garious to a great extent, feeding on the wing, and catching 

 insects or small lizards from the trunks of the trees, devouring 

 also large grasshoppers, caterpillars, snakes, and frogs. Mr. 

 Dresser also says that they feed on wasp-grubs, and will carry 

 off a nest to a perch and there pick out the grubs. 



Nest. — Placed on a high tree, made of sticks, and lined with 

 coarse grass. Mr. Dresser suggests that they probably breed in 

 society, and Mr. Ridgway says that the nest is usually found 

 near watercourses. 



Eggs. — Two or three in number ; white or buffy-white, boldly 

 spotted or blotched, chiefly round the larger end, with hazel- 

 brown, chestnut, or rich madder-brown {Ridozvay). 



THE TRUE KITES. GENUS MILVUS. 



Milvus, Cuvier, Le^, Anat. Comp. i. tabl. Ois. (1800). 



Type, Milvus niilvus (L.). 



The Kites have the same oblique nostril as was described 



in the genus Elanoides, with the membrane on the upper 



