THE BLACK KITE. 131 
region, being spread over Central, Northern, 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—FALCONIDA®. 
Brack KITE. 
Milous migrans, BODDAERT. 
HIS common Continental species, which is not dé/ack, 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, May 11th, 1866. However, Robert Gray believes that there is evidence 
that this Kite has occasionally visited Scotland, and has been correctly reported 
from Forfarshire. He considers that, at the present day, the Black Kite is about 
as likely to make its appearance in this country, as a chance migrant, as its con- 
gener, now well nigh exterminated as a resident species. 
