(B. of Egypt, p. 196) that he found it very abundant throughout Egypt and Nubia; "they 

 frequent every village, and indeed any place where there is a chance of their obtaining offal ; 

 and at Cairo and Alexandria great numbers may be seen flying over the town or perched upon 

 the housetops. They are very inquisitive, and become bold when in search of food, often 

 following the sportsman for a considerable distance ; but I have never observed them capture 

 even a wounded bird, although they will occasionally swoop at them. They begin breeding in 

 March, usually selecting a sont tree near some village for their nest, which appears invariably to 

 contain some pieces of old rag." Von Heuglin met with it on the Arabian coast of the Red Sea, 

 on Dahlak, in the Adel and Somali country, in Abyssinia up to 12,000 feet, and singly to the 

 Upper Abiad ; and Mr. Blanford killed one in Abyssinia on the highlands at Lake Ashangi. 



In North-western Africa it is generally distributed. According to Dr. Tristram (Ibis, 1859, 

 p. 290), " in the Sahara it takes the place of the Black Kite (Milvus ater) of the Atlas, and exactly 

 resembles it in all its habits. I observed the same contrast between its character and that of the 

 Red Kite which exists between the latter and the Black Kite. Sociable, fearless, and inquisitive, 

 it approaches man far more readily than its congener ; nor will the report of a gun drive it off 

 for more than a minute or two. It hangs over the Arab camp waiting for offal, and probably 

 counting the poultry stock; and as scraps of burnouses and coloured cloth are scarcer in the 

 desert than in the mountains, it hangs about its nest, which is always in a tree, the cast-off coats 

 of serpents, large scraps of thin bark, and perhaps a Bustard's wing. Its home is certainly the 

 marine-storeshop of the desert." It is not, however, included by Favier as occurring in Tangier, 

 but is found all down the west coast. Mr. Ussher writes (Ibis, 1874, p. 45): — "It is to be 

 found in considerable numbers on the Gold Coast ; and very frequently several specimens may 

 be observed in company with the flocks of Neophron pileatus, circling together with these high 

 in the air and uttering a shrill pipe or whistle. It is extremely destructive to young birds, 

 especially chickens, and is not unfrequently killed by the hen in the act of carrying off her 

 young." It has also been obtained at Senegambia, Bissao, Old Calabar; and Professor Barboza 

 du Bocage (J. f. O. 1876, p. 311) records it from Quiliengues, Caconda, and Amboca, and adds 

 that, according to Anchieta, it " is the commonest of the birds of prey in Amboca, and is very 

 destructive to poultry, even carrying them off before people ; but the natives affirm that it never 

 attacks tame Pigeons." Mr. Campbell informed Mr. Gurney that it is sometimes extremely 

 common at Abbeokuta; and Mr. Andersson sent one from Ondonga, Ovampo Land, where it is 

 said to be very numerous in October and November. According to Mr. E. L. Layard it is rare 

 in the Cape colony. He saw one at the village of Ceres, in the Cold Bokkeveld, in November 

 1863, has observed it on the east coast as far as Fazy, and received it from Kuruman. Mr. Ayres 

 states that it is numerous in Natal ; and Dr. Kirk says that it arrives in the Zambesi valley from 

 the north in August, and leaves again before June, and he also met with it at Zanzibar. Mr. J. H. 

 Gurney informs me that he has reexamined the specimens obtained by Mr. E. Newton in Mada- 

 gascar (cited by me in the article on Milvus migrans), and now thinks that they are referable to 

 the present species, as is also, he believes, the Kite recorded by Andersson from Damara Laud as 

 the Black Kite. Pollen records this Kite from Mayotte, and Dickerson from Joanna. 



In habits this Kite much resembles Milvus migrans, but is far more bold and fearless. 

 Von Heuglin says that it is gregarious, and is found in towns and villages and near camps, 



