48 



THE KITE. 



with brown, and the pinions of the wings are brownish-black. The beak and claws arc black, 

 and the cere yellow. The habits of this bird are very like those of the common Buzzard, 

 excepting that it is even more sluggish and lazy in its movements. 



In the Honey Buzzard we find a singular instance of a predaceous bird, endowed with 

 many capabilities of catching and destroying the ordinary kinds of game, yet preferring to 

 feast upon insect food in preference to the flesh of quadrupeds or birds. 



The Honey Buzzard docs not. however, restrict itself solely to insect food, for it has often 

 been observed to catch and devour birds and various quadrupeds. An instance of its preda- 

 torial propensities is given by .Mr. Watters, in his "Birds of Ireland. " The Honey Buzzard 

 had been seen for several successive summers haunting the same locality, and killing the coots 



that frequented a piece of water. A coot was therefore shot, poisoned with strychnine, and 

 laid out as a bait for the Honey Buzzard, ami on the next day the bird was found dead at 

 some distance from the spot. When in confiement this bird will eat mice, rats, birds, meat, 

 and similar articles of diet. 



The Kite may lie known, even on the wing, from all other British birds of prey, by its 

 beautifully easy flight, and the long forked tail. Indeed, while flying, the Kite bears no 

 small resemblance ton very large swallow, excepting that the flight is more gliding, and the 

 wings are seldom flapped. 



Despite the ill savor into which the name of the Kite has fallen, it is really a magnificent 

 specimen of the falconidse, and deserves its specific title of "regalis," or regal, quite as much 

 tor its own merits as from the fact that it hail once the very great honor to be chased by 

 royalty. It seems that the later kings of Prance were in the habit of marking the Kite as the 

 quarry which was specially suitable to their renal state, and were accustomed to fly their 

 hawks at Kites, instead of herons, as was usually the mode of procedure in the noble sport of 

 falconry. The Kite is therefore termed regal, not on account of any innate royalty in the 

 bird, but simply because royal personages chose to pursue it. 



