THE KITE. 307 



the autumn of 1881 at the period of their migra- 

 tion. As many as a dozen were recorded to have 

 been shot in a month, and three I saw in the flesh 

 in one county alone (Cork). 



An old fowler living near Dingle Bay, co. Kerry, 

 assured me he was watching one calm bright 

 evening in autumn near his house on the shore a 

 pair of the small Sea Eagles (i.e., the Osprey) 

 fishing. One of them struck at a fish ; the prey 

 was either too large, or the bird, in struggling to 

 rise, soaked its plumage more than usual. The 

 fowler on seeing the Osprey beating violently on the 

 water, and knowing its value, ran for his gun and 

 quickly launched a boat. When he was almost within 

 shot, the other Osprey, the fellow of the one in the 

 water, swooped down and struck at its helpless 

 companion, and lifting it by the back, enabled 

 it to use the wings freely and join its deliverer 

 in the air. Whether this act was done with a 

 charitable intention, or with malice, can only be 

 guessed ; but from the graphic description of the 

 disappointed shooter, I have not the least doubt the 

 incident occurred as he described it. 



So far as I am aware, the Osprey has never been 

 found nesting in Ireland. 



THE KITE (Milvus regalis] is very rare in Ire- 

 land. I have shot, or indeed seen, but one. In the 

 winter of 1 880-81, I noticed a large bird, which I 

 at first thought was a Falcon, pounce down on a 

 Teal I had wounded, and which had dropped in 

 the water near the mouth of Cashen River, co. 

 Kerry. It endeavoured to snatch the bird off 

 the surface without success. It then flew round, 



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