XXL THE KITE. 



" When the kite builds look to lesser linen." Shakes- 

 peare. 



THE Kite is a melancholy example of unutilized talents. 

 He could, if he chose to exert himself, be monarch of all he 

 surveyed in Calcutta, but he lets the crow get there before 

 him every time. You never see a crow miss the opportu- 

 nity of annoying a Kite, but what does the Kite do in reta- 

 liation ? He essays a few robberies with violence, it is 

 true ; but only once, and that after several years' resi- 

 dence here, have I seen him successful. Usually the 

 pursued crow " puts in," as a falconer would say, to a 

 house or tree in time to save his bacon or whatever else 

 he has appropriated. Indeed, I have seen him settle 

 down to peck at his booty, held firmly under his foot, 

 before the baffled Kite had wheeled away. That the 

 kite can be formidable if he likes anyone may find out 

 who cares to stroll out on a verandah with an unconcer- 

 ned expression and anything edible or that a kite's 

 experience of human habits leads him to think may be so. 

 The experimenter will find that an unseen bird will sweep 

 down from behind and whip the object of experiment out 

 of his hand before he can say whatever he is in the habit of 

 saying on occasions of unpleasant surprise. " There's 

 many a slip 'twixtthe cup and the lip" was once admirably 

 exemplified to me by a Kite. I was imprudently drink- 



