DISAPPEARANCE OF THE KITE 407 



wonderful how in a few years these birds have 

 become almost extinct throughout England. I 

 have not seen one for at least thirty-six years (i.e., 

 not since 1839). 



The late Mr Stevenson, in the first volume of 



THE KITE. 



his Birds of Norfolk, published in 1866, could only 

 write of the Kite in the past tense. In former years, 

 he says, this bird occasionally remained with us to 

 breed, and half a century back used to be rather 

 common in Norfolk. The last of which he had any 

 knowledge was trapped close to its ancient haunt at 

 Croxton, near Thetford, in November 1852. Dr 



