146 THE EED KITE. 



same place for wliole hours wiilwut showing the slightest motion 

 of his icings." This answers for a paper kite with the string 

 tethered to the ground. No wonder the living kite was 

 selected as the pattern for the toy ones. Wordsworth also notes 

 this sailing habit of the kite amongst other birds — 



" The sailing glead, 

 The wheeling swallow, and the darting snipe ; 

 The sporting sea-gull dancing with the waves ; 

 And cautious water-fowl from distant climes 

 Were subject to young Oswald's steady aim, 

 And lived by his forbearance." 



Mr Weir, a close observing ornithologist, says — " In the 

 neighbourhood of Bathgate during twelve years I have only 

 seen one male. For three seasons he frequented the same 

 parish, daily visiting the same localities about the same hour. 

 Amongst partridges and other birds he committed great havoc. 

 His flight was easy and graceful, consisting of curves and wide 

 circles ; by the almost imperceptible motion of his wings, guided 

 by his long tail, he occasionally soared to a great height. He 

 often delighted and astonished the inhabitants, who thought he 

 was one of Jove's noble birds come from the north to visit our 

 more genial clime." From this we are not only reminded of the 

 appropriate origin of our paper kites or " dragons," but, also, 

 that it had other uses than merely to gobble up the offal thrown 

 broadcast on the streets of London before sanitary laws were 

 enacted ; and helps to prove the elastic characteristics of our 

 carrion birds — from the carrion crow up to the condor of the 

 Andes. Indeed, the kite was once called the " royal kite," and 

 used by royalty to hunt along with falcons and hawks, which 

 may account for the monstrous salary of the " Hereditary Grand 

 Falconer and Master of the Hawks," drawn by the Duke of St 

 Albans, and paid by the nation. Mr Hanbury, in the House of 

 Commons, lately brought out that the Duke draws (1) a salary 

 for doing nothing ; (2) an allowance for falconers whom he does 

 not employ ; (3) an allowance for hawks which he does not 

 keep ; and (4) an allowance for feeding hawks which have no 

 existence. The emoluments of the office used to be — 



Salary, £391 1 5 



Four falconers, - - - - 200 



Purchase of hawks, - . - - 600 



Hawks' food, 182 10 



£1,373 11 5 



