EAPACIOUS BIRDS. 79 



for a considerable time, evidently listening with 

 great delight, and being unwilling to remove. 

 After that, he frequently perched on or near the 

 piano, clearly for the sake of enjoying " the con- 

 cord of sweet sounds." 



The KITE is a bird readily distinguished, even 

 at a distance, on the wing, by its long and forked 

 tail. It was formerly a common and well-known 

 bird with us, but it has now become rare in 

 England, a constant war of extermination having 

 been carried on against it, as well as its fellows in 

 general, by the game-keepers. In the olden dirty 

 times, this bird was the scavenger of the English 

 cities ; and it was once so common in some parts of 

 Scotland that children used to be posted to- watch 

 for and " sheu" them, armed with a watchman's 

 rattle ; and not without good reason ; for, as 

 Bewick quaintly reports, " the kite is particularly 

 fond of young chickens," a rather unfortunate 

 propensity. 



The flight of this large bird is singularly grace- 

 ful and easy ; and it has obtained its provincial 

 name of "gled" or " glead," from its gliding 

 movement, so soft and smooth, with outspread 

 but motionless pinions. It has been thus de- 

 scribed by a loving observer of nature. " The 

 sight of a kite, quite at its ease (or at its labour, if 

 you will), on a clear fine day, and when there is 



