MILVUS 535 



Hob. Europe generally, rarer in the east, north to southern 

 Norway and Sweden ; rare in Finland and in Great Britain ; 

 Canaries, Madeira, and north-west Africa ; southern Russia and 

 Palestine. 



Heavy and somewhat sluggish in its habits, it is strong 

 though not swift on the wing, and is often seen circling high up 

 in the air. During the breeding season it frequents woods and 

 groves, but at other times affects the open country. It feeds on 

 young birds, small mammals, young hares and rabbits, lizards, 

 snakes, frogs and large insects. As a rule it is a silent bird, 

 but its cry is a clear heah, he, he, heah. Its nest is placed high 

 up in a tree and is large, rather flat, constructed of sticks and 

 lined with wool, straw, moss, rags, or an}' soft material. The 

 eggs, 3, seldom 4, in number, are deposited in April or May, and 

 -are white, with a few violet grey shell-markings and reddish- 

 brown surface spots and blotches, and measure about 2*42 

 by 1-77. 



752. BLACK KITE. 

 MILVUS MIGRANS. 



Milmis migrans (Bodd), Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 28 (1783); Gould, B. of 

 Gt. Brit. i. pi. 23 ; Newton, i. p. 97 ; Dresser, v. p. 651, 

 pi. 362 ; Saunders, p. 337 ; Lilford, i. p. 27, pi. 14 ; Blanf. F. 

 Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 378 ; 3f. ater (Gmel.), Syst. Nat. i. 

 p. 262 (1788); Naum. i. p. 340, taf. 31, fig. 2; J/. niger, Bp. 

 Comp. List, p. 4 (1838) ; M. korschun, Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. 

 p. 322 (nee. Gmel.) 



Milan noir, French ; Milano negro, Span. ; Niblio nero, Ital. ; 

 Schwarzer Milan, German ; Sort Glente, Dan. ; JSrun Glada, 

 Swed. ; Korschun, Russ. ; Haddya, Arab. 



$ ad. (Spain). Crown, throat, sides of head, and nape white, the 

 forehead narrowly, and the other parts more broadly striped with blackish 

 brown ; upper parts dark hair-brown, the t hind-neck with dark stripes, 

 and pale margins to some of the wing-coverts ; outer quills blackish, the 

 inner ones like the back ; tail dark greyish hair-brown, obsoletely barred 

 and slightly forked ; breast clove-brown with blackish stripes ; rest of 

 under parts deep ferruginous, each feather with a dark shaft line ; bill 

 blackish horn, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; cere and legs 

 pale yellow ; iris yellowish grey, surrounded by a black line. Culmen 1*6, 

 wing 17'0, tail 1T2, tarsus 2'25 inch. Female rather larger, darker and in 

 general more rufous in tinge. The young bird is dull brown above and 

 below, only rufous on the abdomen, and everywhere the feathers have 



