58 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 
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plumage and buoyant flight give it a striking re- 
semblance to a gull. Its wing-power is indeed 
marvellous. It delights to soar, like the Martins, 
during a high wind, and will spend hours in this 
sport, rising and falling alternately, and at times, 
seeming to abandon itself to the fury of the gale, 
is blown away like thistle-down, until, suddenly 
recovering itself, it shoots back to its original position. 
Where there are tall Lombardy poplar-trees these 
birds amuse themselves by perching on the topmost 
slender twigs, balancing themselves with outspread 
wings, each bird on a separate tree, until the tree-tops 
are swept by the wind from under them, when they 
often remain poised almost motionless in the air 
until the twigs return to their feet. 
When looking out for prey, this Kite usually main- 
tains a height of sixty or seventy feet above the 
ground, and in its actions strikingly resembles a 
fishing Tern, frequently remaining poised in the air 
with body motionless and wings rapidly vibrating 
for fully half a minute at a stretch, after which it 
flies on or dashes down upon its prey. 
The nest is placed upon the topmost twigs of a 
tall tree, and is round and neatly built of sticks, 
rather deep, and lined with dry grass. The eggs are 
eight in number, nearly spherical, the ground-colour 
creamy-white, densely marked with longitudinal 
blotches or stripes of a fine rich red, almost like 
coagulated blood in hue. There is, however, great 
variety in the shades of red, also in the disposition 
of the markings, these in some eggs being confluent, 
