126 ARABIAN KITE. 
before their very eyes. When it has committed a theft it tries during 
its flight to tear it up, upon seeing which its companions dash after it 
with a scream and make it drop a portion, which will, however, in- 
variably be caught before it reaches the ground. During the breeding 
season the males are very quarrelsome and noisy; this is from February 
to May, in Egypt. The nest, which is rather lightly put together, and 
made of dry boughs, is placed mostly on palm trees; but it will also 
build on the battlements of mosques or fortifications, and on ruins. 
The number of eggs varies from three to five. They are blue or 
greyish white, seldom all free from spots; but sometimes the latter are 
only a few fine rusty brown flourishes and dots, principally at the 
larger end, mostly, however, having plainer or less distinct spots of the 
same colour. Length, one inch eleven lines to two inches two lines, 
by one inch seven to eight lines thick. This bird is spread over the 
whole of Africa. It occurs also in Asia Minor, Greece, and Dalmatia." 
Its eggs are said by Le Vaillant to be four; white ground with red 
spots; and by Ardouin three or four; yellowish white, entirely covered 
with confluent brown spots, leaving the ground-work hardly visible. 
An adult male in the Norwich Museum has the head, back, and under 
parts, of a dark cinnamon brown, lighter on the thighs; primaries and 
tail feathers above dark brown; tail below with nine or ten dark bands; 
under tail coverts cinnamon. 
The female does not differ from the male. When recent the beak is 
yellowish with the tip black; cere bluish; feet yellow. In the young 
the plumage is brown and the tail almost square. Adult specimens do 
not differ much in plumage. 
The figure of this bird is from a drawing by Mr. Reeve, of the 
Norwich Museum. It is taken from a living specimen, in the posses- 
sion of Mr. Gurney. 
