COMMON KITE. 213 



country its favourite site is some isolated rock in one 

 of the mountain lochs of Scotland. On the top of 

 this a huge nest of sticks is built, from three to four 

 feet in diameter, it is said. The sticks themselves 

 are very big, some of them an inch and a half in 

 diameter, and lined with dry grass. In this structure 

 three eggs are usually laid, the ordinary variety being 

 white in ground colour, boldly blotched with rich red- 

 dish brown, thicker towards the larger end. 



The upper parts of the Osprey are dark brown, 

 except the head and nape, which are white streaked 

 with brown ; the under parts are white, with a light- 

 brown belt of feathers across the breast. 



It is an occasional autumn visitor to the south, and 

 has been noticed in the Isle of Wight and on the 

 shores of the New Forest. 



COMMON KITE. 



MILVUS REGALIS. 



Family Falconid^. Genus Milvus. 



Gleade—Puttock— Fork-tailed Kite. 



The Kite, formerly so common, is now another bird 

 which in most parts of our country may not be seen, 

 perhaps, once in a lifetime. The only places in which 

 it now breeds at all regularly are the Highlands of 

 Scotland and the wildest parts of Wales. It is said 

 to be resident. 



The Gleade, or Glide, as it is called, receives this 

 name from its motion in the air, sailing up in slow 

 graceful circles, sometimes to a great height, with 

 wings and tail expanded, for hours at a time. Owing 

 to this proficiency in soaring, it was at one time a very 



