The Black Kite. 13' 



region, being spread over Central, Nortliern, and, to some extent, Southern 

 Europe during the breeding-season ; and in the winter is met with in Southern 

 Europe and North Africa. 



The adult male is reddish brown on the upper parts, each feather with paler 

 edges ; those of the head and neck are much elongated, greenish-white, streaked 

 with brown ; lower parts rufous brown, streaked with dark brown ; tail, which is 

 deeply forked, reddish brown, with darker bars ; bill horn colour ; cere, irides, and 

 tarsi, bright yellow ; claws black. 



The female only differs from the male in having a lighter head and the 

 under parts more rufous, and in being somewhat larger in size. Young birds 

 are paler in their plumage, and more mottled both on the upper and lower parts. 



Length of male, 25 inches; of female, 27 inches. 



Family— FAL CONID^. 



Black Kite. 



Milvus viigraiis, BoDDAERT. 



THIS common Continental species, which is not black, but a darker rufous 

 than the Common Red Kite, and with its tail less forked, has only occurred 

 once with us, according to Saunders, an adult male having been trapped in the 

 deer-park at Alnwick, and brought in a fresh state to Mr. John Hancock, of New- 

 castle, Maj' nth, 1866. However, Robert Gray believes that there is e^^dence 

 that this Kite has occasionalh- visited Scotland, and has been correcth- reported 

 from Forfarshire. He considers that, at the present day, the Black Kite is about 

 as likely to make its appearance in this countr}-, as a chance migrant, as its con- 

 gener, now well nigh exterminated as a resident species. 



