34 casskll's book of birds. 



From the strange antics and remarkable appearance of this Kite, it is called by the Abyssinians "The 

 Monkey of the Sky;" and those who have seen it alternately tumbling, gliding, rising, or falling 

 through the air will own that the name is not ill applied. Only when on the wing can the beauty of 

 the Mountebank be fully appreciated ; while in the trees its appearance is most ungainly — the body is 

 inflated till it looks like a ball of feathers, and the plumage hangs loose about the neck and face, the 

 head being meanwhile turned about in all directions, after the manner of the Screech Owl. The 

 sight of this bird, like that of other Kites, is very keen, and its powers of hearing excellent. In its 

 wild state it is extremely shy, even towards its congeners ; and though it will often engage in serious 

 conflicts, is by no means courageous. In captivity it soon becomes exceedingly tame, and, unlike 

 other birds of prey, quite enjoys being stroked. But little care, either as regards food or climate, is 

 required to keep the Mountebank in health when caged, as it can endure almost any variety of tem- 

 perature. Gazelles, lambs, sick sheep, young ostriches, and carrion are said to constitute its favourite 

 food, but we cannot vouch for the truth of this statement, as our own observations have led us to the 

 conclusion that this species subsists chiefly upon reptiles, and is equally destructive to snakes of all 

 kinds, whether poisonous or not. When in pursuit of food of this description, it is immediately 

 attracted by the conflagrations that frequently break out upon the vast plains of their native land, 

 and will fly quite close down to the line of fire, snatching its victims as they vainly attempt to escape 

 from the dense cloud of smoke in which they are enveloped ; they will, no doubt, if driven by hunger, 

 occasionally eat carrion. The period of incubation commences with the dry season, when, owing 

 to the parched state of the ground, snakes are easily discovered among the burnt-up grass. The 

 eyrie is usually built at the summit of a high tree, and the brood consists, according to Le Vaillant, 

 of from three to four eggs, but we ourselves have never succeeded in finding more than two. 



The GLIDING KITES (Elanus) are common in all parts of the world, with the exception of 

 Europe, where they are very rarely met with. This group is composed of four species, resembling 

 each other in an unusual degree. All have compact bodies and thick plumage ; their wings, of which 

 the second quill is longer than the rest, extend beyond the tip of the short, slightly excised, and by 

 no means powerful tail. The feet are short, powerful, and only partially covered with feathers, the 

 middle toe is longer than the tarsus, and all the toes are armed with very sharp, hooked talons ; 

 the beak, which is short and comparatively high, is much bent, and terminates in a long hook ; the- 

 margin of the upper mandible bulges slightly outwards. The plumage is extremely silky in its 

 texture, and resembles that of the Owl in the formation of its feathers. 



THE TRUE GLIDING KITE. 

 The True Gliding KiTte {Elanus melanopterus) is of a beautiful greyish blue upon the upper 

 portions of its body, and white beneath ; the brow and shoulders are black ; the eyes a brilliant red ; 

 the beak black ; the cere and feet orange. The young are brownish grey on the back, and light 

 yellow, streaked with brownish yellow, on the under parts of the body ; most of the feathers are 

 surrounded by a white border. The length of the male is about thirteen and a half and its breadth 

 thirty inches ; its wing measures eleven and a half and its tail five and a half inches. The female is 

 somewhat larger. This Kite principally inhabits such tracts of country as are diversified by wood- 

 lands and pastures, and usually avoids extensive forests ; with this exception, it is found throughout 

 the whole of North-eastern Africa, and is particularly numerous in Egypt. It always lives in pairs, 

 never flying about in parties except when engaged in instructing its young. The couples, however, 

 live close to each other, and may, therefore, often be seen apparently enjoying a social excursion, 

 when in fact, each family is entirely regardless of its neighbours. In its habits the Gliding Kite bears 



