BOOK X. XI. 27-.\iv. 30 



now able to fly, seizes the mother bird herself as 

 well. At this stage no sort of bii*d will compare with 

 a young cuckoo for savoury flavour. 



XII. Kites belong to the same genus as hawks ThekUe, 

 but differ in size. It has been noticed in regard to 



this species that though a most rapacious bird and 

 always hungry it never steals any edible from the 

 oblations at funerals nor from the altar at Olympia 

 and not even out of the hands of the people bringing 

 the ofFsprings except with a gloomy portent for 

 the slaves performing the sacrifice. Also it seems 

 that this bird by its manipulation of its tail taught 

 the art of steei*smanship, nature demonstrating in 

 the sky what was required in the deep. Kites them- 

 selves also are not seen in the winter months, though 

 not departing before the swallow ; it is reported 

 however that they suffer from gout even from 

 midsummer onward. 



XIII. The primary distinction between birds is TcUoned 

 established especially by the feet ; for either they 

 have hooked talons or claws or they are in the web- 

 footed class hke geese and water-fowl generally. 

 If they have hooked talons they hve for the most part 

 only on flesh ; (XIV) though crows " eat other food as 

 well, as if a nut is so hard that it resists their beak they 

 fly up aloft and drop it two or more times on to rocks or 

 roof-tiles, till it is cracked and they can break it open. 

 The bird itself has a persistent croak that is unlucky, 

 although some people speak well of it. It is noticed 

 that from the rising of Arcturus to the arrival of the 

 swallows it is rarely seen in groves and temples of 

 Minerva and never at all elsewhere, as is the case at 

 Athens ; it is most unlueky at its breeding season, 

 that is, after naidsummer. Moreover this bird alone 



3" 



birds : tlu 

 CTOW ; 



