162 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



as a thought to its summery finery of and scale the tree. The nest, built 

 green, and the trees stand nude and in the fork of the main stem, gives 

 grim, a prey to the rude caress of no trouble to reach. It is a rude mass 

 the spring breezes. Consequently the of sticks and rubbish, lined copiously 

 Imlky nest of the kite if here at all but artlessly with mats of dirty wool, 

 should not be hard to find. The wood is many of which hang over the sides 

 on a steep slope, and if entered from which are little higher than the interior, 

 the top side, a greater portion of its in- As decoration if for such purpose it be 

 terior is readily overlooked. A brief there is a long piece of thin tarred 

 scrutiny reveals three nests, two of rope, a strip of blue-striped calico, 

 them larger than the third. That small a few small bones and a sheet of out- 

 one is unmistakably the crow's, but rageously filthy paper. This last item 

 what about the other two ? Kites' lies close to the eggs, and the whole 

 nests surely, and as if in corroboration concern a veritable dust-bin smells 

 of the thought, a slight movement on atrociously and is choked with vermin, 

 the fresher-looking of them arrests the If the ornithologist is a true bird- 

 gaze. By the Powers, a kite sitting lover, his eye will kindle at the sight 

 on her nest ! The glasses are soon of the three great whitish eggs with 

 on her, and the pale head, horn- their scratchy markings of reddish 

 coloured beak, yellow eye, bronzed- and yellowish-brown ; not with the 

 rufous upper plumage with lighter gloating exultancy of the sordid egg- 

 edging, and dusky primaries crossed collector, but with feelings akin to 

 over the long ruddy tail, are all noted wonder that, owing to these monsters 

 with loving care. Stay a moment and the universal use of firearms, any 

 and watch her ; then advance, and kites should survive at all. 

 a noiseless brownish-red shape glides The kites are still sailing above their 

 off the nest and out of the wood. By fastness as the naturalist steps out of 

 this time the truant has returned and the wood, but overjoyed though he is 

 the two great birds wheel and flap at the finding of so rich a prize, the 

 about excitedly above their violated whole a picture to be framed in red 

 hearth. The eggs, totally white at in mind and notebook alike, he yet 

 this distance, show up plainly, but feels not a little sadly : for he deems 

 scramble down the loose shale littering it only too probable that some rascally 

 the brittle carpet of dead oak leaves fellow, knowing little of and caring 



