124 Order IV 



in the colder months, though it is by no means un- 

 common in most parts of the Palsearctic region. In 

 Scotland the Peregrine Falcon is often called Goshawk, 

 a fact which may give rise to erroneous records. Being 

 an ashy brown bird with barred tail and white under 

 parts thickly barred with black, this species has a 

 general resemblance to a large Sparrow-hawk, and is 

 similar in its habits, but the eggs are bluish white and 

 rarely have even faint rusty markings. The food 

 consists of mammals and birds. 



The Kite (Milvus milvus) is one of our most inter- 

 esting survivals. Long ago it was the common 

 scavenger of our towns, and probably everyone has 

 heard stories of its boldness in snatching food from 

 children's hands, and so forth. Now a few^ pairs main- 

 tain a precarious existence in and near Wales, though 

 it is hardly more than a decade since others bred in 

 Scotland, while so few individuals visit us from abroad 

 that we can hardly hope for an increase from that 

 source. A large rufous bird, with streaks below and 

 on the white head, must always be conspicuous, while 

 its long deeply forked tail, well seen as it makes bold 

 circles in the air, and its shrill mewing cry, render it 

 an object that cannot easily fail of observation. Be- 

 sides offal the diet comprises small mammals, birds, 

 frogs, and even fish; the nest of sticks, paper, rags 

 and other materials is placed in the fork of a tree, or 

 more rarely in a cliff, and contains three eggs, similar 

 to, or a little duller than, those of the Buzzard. It 

 ranges from Europe and north Africa to Palestine and 

 Asia Minor, but is less common in Scandinavia and 

 north Russia. 



It is impossible to say, until each summer comes 



