118 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



way with some difficulty, like most long-winged birds ; 

 and as he wants a lot of room for his evolutions, he has 

 little use for trees, except to perch on the top of them. 

 He seems, indeed, when nesting,to favour buildings much 

 more than the crow, no doubt for this reason 



I have not observed in the kite's matrimonial arrange- 

 ment that refined delicacy which has been alluded to in the 

 case of the crow. Endearments and presents seem to be 

 at a discount, and the banns of marriage are published 

 abroad by an aggravation of the ordinary virulent squeal- 

 ing which is to my mind the Kite's worst fault as a town 

 bird. Ornamental, except in flight, he certainly is not, 

 though he seems to have an idea that he is suited for mu- 

 ral decoration, judging from the way in which he spread- 

 eagles himself against any warm wall. The young Kite is 

 indeed handsomely spotted with buff after he has grown 

 out of his white nestling-down for young Kites are not in- 

 decently nude like young crows but when this ultimately 

 gives place to the sombre snuff-colour of the adult bird, 

 there is little for the aesthetic eye to take hold of. But 

 the Kite may fairly claim to be both useful and harmless. 

 Garbage of any sort, from a dead rat to a footful of boiled 

 rice, he will appropriate and make away with, if not robbed 

 of it by the crows ; and he cannot very well do much harm, 

 as anything with any sense knows how to get out of his way. 

 Moreover, he is an arrant coward as a rule, though bolder in 

 defence of his nest than the crow, whose parental affection 

 is apt to be overborne by a prudent distrust of his powers 

 of flight ; a Kile's ne?t is not to be approached without 

 caution if one does not want to be clawed over the scalp. 



