278 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



on the Buzzard's egg, whilst her own lay in fragments 

 under her. 1 I think that the crack in the egg, admit- 

 ting air, must have killed the young Kite, for there it 

 lay, corrupt and dead. It was well formed, even to 

 the extent of having down on it ; but I think, from 

 its stinking condition, that it had died in the shell, 

 and that foul air made the egg burst. 



Whatever the cause, there it was, and a sad fiasco 

 this nest had turned out ; but better luck next year. 



It is worth remarking, that the Kite upon 

 leaving her nest had to drop quite a yard before 

 getting fairly started, as the stretch of wing is very 

 great. 2 For this reason they always choose a wood 

 which has been well thinned, so that no adjoining 

 branches may catch them when they take wing. Nor 

 have I ever seen a Kite's nest facing anything but 

 north or some direction with north in it. This Kite 

 must have been incubating for a long time, but, con- 

 sidering this, had lost very few feathers. There were 

 a few scattered about the nest, and some smaller 

 wing-feathers under the tree. As we left the wood, 

 disappointed men, both Kites were visible in the 

 valley below, but after taking a few deliberate circles 

 they made off over the hills. 



Later in the day I saw the sight of my life so far 

 six Red Kites in the air together ; and I shall 

 never forget it. There was carrion there, for the 



1 It is a remarkable thing that this Kite should have con- 

 tinued to " sit " with a broken egg in the nest ; for usually a 

 mishap of this sort is the surest way of making a bird desert 

 her home. 



2 The Kite's breadth of wing is about five feet and a half. 



