AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 66 



on one occasion in the depth of winter. I have in 

 my collection a fine specimen of this bird presented 

 to me by the Eev. W. Finch Hatton, rector of Weldon, 

 near which village it was shot from its nest many 

 years ago by the late John Milley, gamekeeper to 

 Lord Winchilsea ; there are also Northamptonshire 

 Kites (stuffed) at Burghley House, and at Bui wick 

 Park. It seems that this species lingered in the 

 county of Lincoln for many years after it had become 

 extinct, or very nearly so, with us. I myself saw 

 three Kites rise together from a railway embankment 

 near Lincoln, in September 1850, and I am indebted 

 to the kindness of Mr. John Cordeaux for the infor- 

 mation that some Kite's eggs were taken from a nest 

 in Bullingdon Wood, near Wragby, in the last-named 

 county, as lately as 1870, and, though I have not the 

 reference at hand, I think that Mr. Cordeaux has 

 since that time recorded the appearance of one or two 

 Kites in his neighbourhood, viz. North Lincolnshire. 



I have occasionally seen this species in Scotland, 

 where, however, it is now exceedingly rare, and in 

 Wales, where it still breeds, and whence I have 

 received young birds alive. 



In many parts of the continent of Europe the Kite 

 is still common, especially in Spain, where, though 

 not perhaps so abundant as the Black Kite (Mihus 

 mi grans) in the central and southern districts, it is 

 constantly to be seen circling alone or in pairs about 

 the villages, on the look-out for chickens, refuse, cr 

 materials for its nest, which is often built of some- 

 what curious materials. The late John Hancock, of 

 Newcastle-on-Tyne, informed me that a nest in his 

 collection, taken many years ago in Rockingham 

 Forest, " was composed externally of sticks, from \ 



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