A BIRDLOVER'-S YEAR 



wasps, digging out the combs with its claws 

 and then tearing them to pieces. The nest 

 is usually placed at a considerable height 

 from the ground, and therein are found 

 three buffish-white eggs with dark blotches. 



The Kite (Milvus ictinus) is another bird 

 that has to be put on the vanishing list of 

 the British Isles. Only a few breeding pairs 

 are now to be found, yet three hundred 

 years ago these birds were the recognized 

 scavengers of the London streets, owing to 

 their habit of feeding on refuse and garbage ; 

 they also consume insects, reptiles, and young 

 birds. 



The kite's appearance in mid-air has been 

 likened to a " swallow- shaped eagle," and it 

 is a fine sight to watch this bird soaring 

 higher and higher. The kite was very rarely 

 trained for employment in falconry, but 

 was a favourite quarry, from the excellent 

 way in which it baffled the falcon. The nest 

 of this bird is a large structure of sticks, 

 supplemented by all kinds of rubbish, and 

 from two to four eggs are generally laid. 



The " glead " is another popular name for 

 the kite (of Saxon derivation), whose breeding 

 range extends to the south of Scandinavia ; 



143 



