WHITE KITE 57 



from ill-temper or in a frolicsome spirit, which is 

 more probable. 



Thus I have seen one drive up a flock of Glossy 

 Ibises and pursue them some distance, striking and 

 buffeting them with the greatest energy. I saw 

 another pounce down from its perch, where it had 

 been sitting for some time, on a female skunk quietly 

 seated at the entrance of her burrow, with her three 

 half-grown young frolicking around her* I was 

 watching them with extreme interest, for they were 

 leaping over their parent's tail, and playing like 

 kittens with it, when the Hawk dashed down, and 

 after striking at them quickly three or four times, 

 as they tumbled pell-mell into their kennel, flew 

 quietly away, apparently well satisfied with its 

 achievement. 



WHITE KITE 



Elanus leucurus 



Above pale grey ; lesser wing-coverts and scapulars black ; tail 

 white, the two middle feathers grey ; beneath white ; bill black, eyes 

 crimson; feet yellow; length 14.5, wing n, tail 7 inches. Female 

 similar but larger. 



THIS interesting Hawk is found throughout the 

 Argentine Republic, but is nowhere numerous. It 

 also inhabits Chili, where, Gay says, it is called 

 Bailarin (Dancer) on account of its aerial perform- 

 ances. It is a handsome bird, with large ruby-red 

 irides, and when seen at a distance its snow-white 



