KITE BUZZARD. 263 



than those of the eagles,, but far handsomer ; ground colour 

 clear white, which is often very apparent. Blotched all 

 over with deep red-brown. Full number three. 



The Falco brachydactylus, Tern., the short-toed eagle. 

 (Bree), is included in the Danish fauna, and is said to have 

 once bred in Schleswig. 



MilvuSj Sav. Kite. 



Tail long and deeply cloven ; third and fourth feathers 

 of the wing longest. 



14. MILVUS BEGALIS, Briss. Glada. The Kite. D. 



Length a little over 2 ft.; head and neck whitish, with 



brown streaks ; body colour above, light reddish brown 



with paler feather edges, under parts rusty grey, with 



dark longitudinal streaks ; tail, which is 13 in. long 



(reaching at least 3 in. beyond the long pointed wings 



when closed) red-brown, indistinctly marked with 



small dark bands on the under side. Iris in the old 



bird pale yellow, in the young bird pale grey. 



Is a summer migrant, and tolerably common in the 



south and middle of Scandinavia, but does not go very 



far north. Next to the lark, is about the earliest migrant 



that arrives. I saw a kite in Wermland on March 23rd, 



1864, but it was no herald of spring, for after that we 



had a very heavy snow storm, and night frosts for six 



weeks. 



The egg of the kite is most difficult to obtain, properly 

 authenticated; and I have no doubt that of the common 

 buzzard, which is far more easily obtained, is often 

 substituted for it. They both breed with us in trees. 

 The full number of eggs in both nests three, and the eggs are 

 much alike, ground colour whitish, blotched more or less 

 with red-brown. Is not known in Finland. 



The black kite is included in the Danish fauna, but only 

 in the very southern provinces. 



y Cuv. Buzzard. 

 Beak rounder and smaller than in the kite ; head thick ; 



