THE KITE. 325 



claws at the same time, the assistance of each compen- 

 sates for the weakness of the other ; and greater strength 

 in either would have been superfluous. 



The motion of the kite is remarkably graceful. It 

 sweeps along in curves, which it is enabled to describe 

 by using its long forky tail as a rudder ; and there is a 

 considerable interval between the times at which it gives " 

 a single jerk to its wings. Its flight is low, compared 

 with that of the eagle ; but it is higher than that of 

 some other rapacious birds that beat the ground. 



The size, or even the condition of the prey, is no 

 consideration with the kite, so that it is not a creature 

 that offers resistance. The young of hares, rabbits, and 

 all sorts of game those young that cannot fly, espe- 

 cially very young lambs, carrion, mice, snakes, worms, 

 insects all come alike to the kite. Thus it has a 

 great range of food, and is in consequence fitted for a 

 number of situations. It is not so much a moor bird 

 as a prowler about woods, fields, and farm-yards, and 

 even the vicinity of towns ; but it often takes an excur- 

 sion over the moors, even to a considerable extent, if 

 it meet with a peculiarly fine day. 



It is in fine weather only that the kite beats the 

 ground gracefully. The objects of which it is in quest 

 are smaller than those on which the eagle preys ; and 

 it requires, in consequence, greater light. On the fine 

 sunny days too, young heath-poults, partridges, or 

 chickens, according to the nature of the place, lie 

 basking, or even asleep, in more exposed places than 

 when the sun is clouded and the air cold. Thus the 

 sailing kite, though certainly not a harbinger of fine 

 weather, is a concomitant of it, because then its prey 

 2 F 



