337 



THE RED KITE. 



(Milvus ictinus.) 



THE flight of this bird is very beautiful ; it mounts in 

 circles to a great height, but swoops down quite near to 

 the ground when pursuing its prey. Its food consists 

 of mice, lizards, adders, and* unfledged birds; but most 

 of all it likes poultry, hens, ducks, geese. In this way 

 it is very hurtful. Fortunately, it is a cowardly bird, 

 and a good clucking hen can soon put it to flight. 



In the spring when the flocks of geese with their 

 young ones are grazing in the tender grass, the Red 

 Kite will suddenly appear and cause great consternation 

 among young and old. The poor bare-footed guardians 

 of the geese, strive to drive the intruder away with 

 shouts, or by waving rags, and throwing stones; and 

 though they generally succeed, the bird occasionally 

 gains the day. This bird is nowhere very common, and 

 is in any case only a summer visitor. Its cry is a shrill 

 whew, heh-heh-heh. 



This Kite was formerly known in Great Britain 

 by its old Anglo-Saxon name of Gled or Glead, which 

 comes from its gliding flight, and is styled Red Kite 

 in order to distinguish it from its relatives. That 

 it was once common enough in the South of England, 

 a proverb, still used in the New Forest shows, " Yallow 

 as a Kite's claw " the folk say there in describing 

 one who has a jaundiced appearance. So common 

 was it in the streets of London up to 200 years ago, 

 acting the part of a scavenger in those days, that 

 visitors from the Continent wrote of it. Some are now 



w 



