BIRDS OF PREY. 3I 



is treated with favour, being supposed, by a popular superstition, to bring luck to the district in 

 which it builds its nest. With all varieties of swimming birds the Osprey lives upon the most 

 amicable terms, but Crows, Swallows, and Wagtails pursue and harass it so perseveringly that it will 

 often throw down its hardly-earned booty in order to escape from their unrelenting persecution. 

 Traps baited with fish are employed in North America by those who wish to obtain these birds alive ; 

 so wary are they, however, that their capture is attended with great difficulty. When caged, even if 

 supplied with plenty of fresh fish, they rarely survive imprisonment for more than a few months, and 

 are, for this reason, numbered amongst the greatest rarities in our aviaries. 



In England, as Yarrell informs us, specimens of this bird have been obtained in Surrey, Sussex, 

 and almost every county on the north-east coast. Two or three have been killed in Durham, and 

 they are said to be met with on the north-west coast of Scotland rather more frequently than 

 elsewhere. 



Sir W. Jardine says that in Scotland; " a pair or two may be found about most of the Highland 



lochs where they fish, and, during the breeding season, build on the ruined towers so common on the 



margins or on the insulated rocks of these wild waters. The nest is an immense fabric of rotten 



sticks^ - ■ 



' Itself a burden for the tallest tree — ' 



and is generally placed, if such exists, on the top of the chimney, or, if this be wanting, on the 

 highest summit of the building. An aged tree may sometimes be chosen, but ruins are always 

 preferred, if near water. They have the same propensity for returning to a station with those of 

 America, and, if one is shot, a mate is soon found and brought to the ancient abode. Loch Lomond, 

 Loch Awe, Killchurn Castle, and Loch Menteith, have long been breeding places." 



The KITES (Milvi) constitute a group of Falcons, many species of which are to be met with in 

 all parts of the world. Of these birds it is almost impossible to speak in general terms, so very 

 various is their appearance ; and we must therefore confine ourselves to saying that they are for the 

 most part slender in shape," with short necks, and small or moderate sized heads. Their wings are 

 always long and pointed, and usually rather narrow ; the tail varies considerably in length, but is 

 generally very long and forked — really short tails are only exceptionally met with in this group. The 

 foot, which is either long and weak or small and heavy, is invariably furnished with short toes ; the 

 beak is moderate, usually curving directly from its base, and hooked at the extremity, near which it 

 occasionally presents a tooth-like appendage ; the claws are slightly rounded and very sharp. The 

 plumage is extremely soft and tolerably dense about the region of the head, forming in some instances 

 a kind of ruff of long feathers which surround the ears, and, when spread out, materially assist the 

 sense of hearing. To these characteristics we can only add that their colours are sometimes pale, and 

 sometimes exceedingly bright. All the various members of this group are remarkable for the excel- 

 lence of their flight, which differs essentially from that of any other birds of prey. Unlike the True 

 Falcons, their movements are extremely calm and regular — indeed, they may be said to travel through 

 the realms of air without any direct stroke of the wing, a peculiarity which occasionally gives a rocking 

 motion to the flight of some species, the points of the wings being at such times held above the plane 

 of the body. When upon the ground, however, their movements are by no means effected with 

 equal facility — some species walk with ease, while others appear to progress with great difficulty. In 

 all these birds the sense of sight is very highly developed, and such as possess the long feathers 

 around the neck hear with great acuteness ; of the delicacy of their sense of taste we cannot speak 

 with any certainty. As regards intelligence, the Kites are decidedly inferior to other Falcons ; they 

 are cautious and persevering, cunning and inquisitive, extremely rapacious, but so destitute of courage 



