THE KITE 185 



This happens mostly when the scavenger has dined 

 well, rather than wisely. This, I regret to have to 

 say, happens whenever the opportunity presents itself. 

 Having gorged himself to bursting point, the kite likes 

 to sit on the ground and meditate. A couple of crows 

 then appear on the scene ; one settles in front of the kite 

 and the other behind him. The posteriorly situated 

 crow then makes an attack a tergo. The kite turns 

 savagely on the aggressor. This is the opportunity for 

 which the front crow has been waiting ; he attempts to 

 remove one or more of the glead's tail feathers. After 

 a little the irate scavenger flies off, amid corvine jeers. 



Kites can scarcely be called birds of prey. They 

 usually aim at more humble game. They are content 

 to live on refuse. It is not that they do not like nice 

 fresh meat; far from it. There is nothing that a kite 

 enjoys so much as a tender little bird ; but, before you 

 can eat your hare, you have to catch him, and kites are 

 lazy and cowardly. They choose the line of least re- 

 sistance, and that is to pick up dead matter. 



However, if a sickly little bird or a feeble nestling 

 presents itself, the kite " makes no bones " about carry- 

 ing it off. Sometimes the kite, in spite of the vigilance 

 of the parents, manages to carry off a young crow. If 

 he can get away before the parents discover what has 

 happened, all goes well so far as the kite is concerned ; 

 but if the crows catch him red-handed, it is the very 

 dickens ! 



Not many days ago the conversation of a ckoto haziri 

 party, at which I was present, was interrupted by a 

 great commotion overhead in a tree, and, looking up, 



