MILVIN^. 105 



ashy brown, obsoletely barred, and narrowly pale tipped ; beneath, 

 and under wing coverts, reddish brown, the feathers with a 

 central dark longitudinal streak, and edged paler ; a narrow black 

 line from the lores over the eye and ears. 



Length of a male 23 to 24 inches ; of a female 25 to 26 Inches ; 

 wing 18^ ; tail 12, to end of outer feathers ; centre feathers 2^ 

 inches shorter ; tarsus 2, or 2^ ; mid toe 2^ ; bill at gape If. 



TJie young bird is brown, numerously spotted with whitish, or 

 fulvous tawny, streaked on the head, neck, and lower parts, and the 

 other feathers edged and tipped pale. 



The common Indian Kite Is very closely related to M. ater of 

 Europe, and was considered the same by Mr. Blyth in his Cata- 

 logue. It is, however, now recognised as distinct. It extends 

 through all India, Burmah, and Malayana, but in China appears 

 to be replaced by a very closely affined race, M. melanotis, Tern, 

 and Schl. 



It is one of the most abundant and common birds in India, found 

 at all elevations up to 8,000 ft. at least, especially near large towns 

 and cantonments, and its vast numbers and fearlessness are among 

 the first objects that strike the stranger from England, where birds 

 of prey are so rare. Every large town, cantonment, and even 

 village, has its colony of Kites, which ply their busy vocation from 

 before sunrise to sometime after sunset. Every large camp, too, 

 is followed by these useful scavengers, and the tent even of the 

 single traveller is daily visited by one or more, according to the 

 numbers In the neighbourhood. As is well known. Kites pick up 

 garbage of all kinds, fragments of meat and fish, and generally 

 the refuse of man's food. YvHien a basket of refuse or offal is 

 thrown out in the streets to be carted away, the Kites of the Im- 

 mediate neighbourhood, who appear to be quite cognizant of the 

 usual time at which this is done, are all on the look-out, and dash down 

 on it impetuously, some of them seizing the most tempting morsels 

 by a rapid swoop, others deliberately sitting down on the heaps 

 along with crows and dogs, and selecting their scraps. On such 

 an occasion, too, there is many a struggle to retain a larger frag- 

 ment than usual, for the possessor no sooner emerges from its 



o 



