60 THE AEABIAN KITE. 



bird, \\-hicli will escape from the limb of some tree, with a confused and hurried flight 

 indicative of fear, while the Kite moves steadily from the summit of the loftiest oak, the 

 scattered crest of the highest poplar, or the most elevated ash — circles round and round, 

 sedate and calm, and then leaves us." 



The Kite is possessed of a very docile and agreeable temper, and is easily tamed. 

 Mr. Thompson records an instance, where a pair of these Ijirds were taken from a ne.st 

 near Loch Awe, in Argyleshire, and were so thoroughly domesticated that they were 

 permitted to fly at liberty every morning. Wlien thrown into the air, they always soared 

 aloft in their graceful circling flights, displaying their wonderful command of wing, and 

 exulting in its exercise, but still so affectionate in their nature that they always returned 

 to the hand of their owner when called. They were generally fed on rats and mice, and 

 were very fond of catching the former animals as they were let loose from a cage. The 

 bird has even been trained for the purpose of falconry, and has been found to perform its 

 task to the satisfaction of its owner. A rather curious " lure " was employed in order to 

 induce the Kite to return to its master after its flight, consisting of a living owl with a 

 fox's brush tied to one of its legs, partly in order to impede its flight, and partly to make 

 it more attractive to the gaze of the wanderer. The extraordinary dislike which is 

 felt for the owl by most of the day-flying birds is well known, and it was probably 

 on account of that aversion that the owl was used as a decoy. 



The ordinary length of the common Kite is about twenty inches, but the sexes are 

 rather variable in that respect, the females being always larger than the males. The 

 colouring of the bird is very elegant, although composed of few tints, and is remarkable 

 more on account of the delicate gradations and contrasts of hue than for any peculiar 

 brilliance of the feathers. The general aspect of the Kite is reddish-brown, which on 

 a close inspection is resolved into the following tints. The back and upper portions are 

 dark brown, relieved by a reddish tinge upon the edges of the feathers ; the primaries are 

 black, and the upper tail coverts chestnut. There is a little wliite upon the edges of the 

 tertiaries, and the head and back of the neck are covered with greyish-white feathers, the 

 centre of each feather being streaked with brown. The forked tail is reddish-brown, barred 

 on the under surface with dark brown stripes, the centre feathers being the darkest. The 

 chin and throat are coloured like the head, and the abdomen and under portions are 

 redtUsh-brown. The under tail coverts are white, with a slight reddish tinge, and the 

 under surface of the rectrices are also white, but washed with grey. 



The Arabian Kite still plays the same part in Africa as was formerly takea in 

 England by its European relative. 



It is a bold and familiar bird, haunting the habitations of man, and audaciously 

 carrying off its prey, undeteiTed by human presence. As it will eat garliage of almost 

 any nature, it is a valuable ally to the unclean villagers ; carrying away the offal which is 

 liberally flung out of the houses, and scarcely permitting it to rest on the ground before it 

 is seen and devoured. The biixl is strictly protected on account of the services which it 

 continually renders ; and so utterly fearless does it become through long experience of the 

 ways of man, that it pays visits to every house in the village, in liopes of finding food of 

 some kind. When Le Vaillant was employed in preparing his dinner at his wagons, the 

 Kites came and boldly caiiied off the meat, heedless of the shots that were fired and the 

 cries that were raised, and even returned for a second supply as soon as they had disposed 

 of their former booty. 



Sometimes the Arabian Kite liecomes rather troublesome than useful, for in a dearth 

 of its usual food it will attack the poultry yards, and coolly fly off with the young chickens 

 before the eyes of their owner. On account of this propensity it is popularly termed 

 " Kuyken-dief," chicken-thief by the Dutch colonists. 



This Arabian Kite is also a good fisher, and will dash into a river and carry off its 

 finny prey with a success almost as invariable as that of the osprey. It is also some- 

 thing of a tyrant, and if it sees a smaller and weaker bird, such as a crow, carrying a 

 piece of meat in its mouth, it immediately assaults the unfortunate creature, and, l)y dint 

 of pecking and buffeting, forces it to relinquish its prize. Whenever it forages the country 



