120 BIRDS OP TUNISIA 



was said to have been taken from a nest in the forest of Ain- 

 Draham. 



"When travelling in the Eastern Atlas, some years ago, Salvin 

 appears to have met with the Kite more often, and mentions no 

 less than four places where he found it nesting (Ibis, 1859, p. 183). 

 He writes as follows concerning the species and its breeding : " For 

 the most part we found that the nests of the Kite were much dis- 

 persed ; I have no instance noted of more than a pair occupying one 

 cliff. When in a rock they were usually placed where a small tree 

 or shrub grew out of a crack. Such was the case at Djebel Dekma, 

 Khifau, M'Sakta, and Kef Laks, with a single exception. In this 

 case the nest was in a hole in the precipice that forms the western 

 termination of Djebel Dekma. The young in this nest were hatched 

 in the first week in April. About the Ouled Zeid country, north of 

 Souk Harras, the nests were usually in trees. Nearly all the eggs 

 we obtained were remarkably devoid of colouring." 



From the foregoing account, one may gather that the Kite was 

 formerly more abundant throughout the Eastern Atlas than it is now. 



From Central and Southern Tunisia there seems to be no record 

 of the occurrence of the species. 



In Algeria, according to Malherbe and Loche, it is common. The 

 latter author considers that Algerian examples of the bird are smaller 

 than those from Europe. 



In Marocco Mr. Tyrwhitt Drake found the Kite not uncommon 

 at Tetuan in winter, and according to Favier, it is resident as well 

 as migratory in the neighbourhood of Tangier. My own Marocco 

 collection contains an example of it obtained at Shaf-el-Akab m 

 March. 



The species appears to be found in the Canaries and at Madeira, 

 being particularly abundant at Tenerife, and according to Dr. Dorhn, 

 it also occurs in the Cape Verds. Throughout Southern Europe and 

 the Mediterranean islands it is more or less common, while eastwards 

 it ranges into Palestine and Asia Minor, though in North-east Africa 

 its occurrence appears to be doubtful. 



In the localities it frequents, and in many of its habits, the 

 Kite resembles the Buzzards, though in its general appearance, and 

 in its flight, it is a lighter and more graceful bird. When soaring, 

 as it is fond of doing, its flight and movements are particularly 

 graceful and attractive. It will remain for hours together in the 

 air, circling slowly round and round in gradually widening or nar- 



