20 KITE 



white, blotched with reddish brown more or less dark in 

 colour, which is sometimes distributed in streaks or spots 

 over the entire surface or massed together at either end. 



Mr. Booth, who gives a fuller description of the Kite as 

 now existing in Great Britain than any recent writer, says : 

 "All the nests of this species that I have seen have been 

 placed in trees, and in every instance a Scotch fir has been 

 resorted to. The position of the nest varies considerably 

 sometimes in the very topmost twigs of a small bending 

 pine that is scarcely able to bear the weight of even the 

 lightest climber, occasionally among the higher branches of 

 some large and spreading fir, conspicuous by its size among 

 the giants of the forest, and at times at only the height of 

 fifteen or eighteen feet, placed close to the main stem, where 

 even the immense collection of rubbish that is used as a 

 nursery by this species is scarcely noticed, a situation having 

 been chosen where several large limbs branch out from 

 the trunk." 



Speaking of another nest, he says : " The nest was com- 

 posed of dead twigs of fir, and lined with sheep's wool, 

 hair, rags, dirt of every description, and lots of old scraps 

 of newspaper. The food provided for the young consisted 

 of a fresh young Grouse and a squirrel ; there were also 

 the remains of a Curlew or two, with plenty of old bones 

 and feathers laying about, showing that Grouse, Pigeons, and 

 Peewits were frequently taken." 



