ABABIAN KITE. 125 
Ch. Bonaparte, and several other ornithologists. In his second edition 
in 1840, M. Temminck corrected this error, which seems to have 
arisen from the fact that both birds are equally common at the Cape 
of Good Hope and in Egypt, and at the same time pointed out that 
the Parasite of Le Vaillant is easily distinguished from the Black Kite 
by its stronger and more raised and constantly yellowish beak; by the 
brighter red colour of the abdomen and thighs of the adult; by the tail 
being more forked, and the general plumage being coloured in larger 
masses. 
Count Miihle mentions having obtained two specimens of this bird 
in Greece, in the months of June and August, which had beautiful 
wax-like beaks, — tolerably stout, — black-banded tails, red brown thighs, 
and black shafts on the feathers of the abdomen. Degland says that 
it has also occurred in Dalmatia, and Mr. Gurney in the following- 
abstract, hints that it has been -taken in the South of France. 
"The African range of this species is much the same as that of A. 
gabar, except that I rather doubt whether it is so common in Egypt, 
(although one of its synonymes is M. JEgypthis .~) It is said to occur 
occasionally in Greece, and also in the south of France. This species 
when adult, is readily distinguished by its yellowish white bill; but 
when younger the bill is a brown horn-colour, and in that state it 
might easily be confounded with the M. niger." 
The following is from Von Heuglin's work on the birds of north- 
east Africa: — "This Kite is spread over the whole of north-east Africa, 
and was found also on the Arabian coast of the Red Sea — Dahlak — in 
the Adel and Somali countries, and in Abyssinia as high as twelve 
thousand feet above the level of the sea. It is resident in Egypt, 
Nubia, and Abyssinia, on the Upper Nile. It prefers to live in flocks, 
chiefly in towns, villages, and their neighbourhood, about camps, fisher- 
men's huts, in the routes of caravans, etc. It is not particular where 
it nests, and it will build on the steeple of a mosque, on the flat roofs 
of dwelling houses, on ruins, in plantations of palm trees, and in the 
churchyard. During the day it is seen frequently on market places, 
slaughter houses, on roads and places where refuse and decayed sub- 
stances are heaped up. It always turns up near dead animals in company 
with the Vultures. It will be gathered from this that its food is chiefly 
carrion, remains of slaughtered animals and their insides, bones, skins, 
fish, etc., and more rarely young newly-fledged birds. It will also 
catch rats, mice, reptiles, and even beetles. If it spies a quicker or 
bolder bird of prey with booty, it throws itself upon its rival, screaming 
and chasing it away. This equally quick and cunning thief will take a 
fisherman's goods out of his basket, and meat out of the butcher's stall, 
