236 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



length of time, he is given a curtain lecture by his 

 loving mate. In this way she shows her great re- 

 gard for him; for the married life among kites is 

 the happiest known in the bird world. How pa- 

 tiently and longingly Mrs. Kite waits for the re- 

 turn of her mate when he is away seeking food for 

 the family! If he does not return promptly, she 

 flops her wings and cries bitterly, and when he does 

 return, his curtain lectures are more the expres- 

 sions of great joy than scoldings for his delay. It 

 sometimes happens that Mr. Kite has food for his 

 babies, and is being spied upon by a robber in the 

 form of an eagle, in which case he dares not fly 

 toward his nest, but awaits an opportunity to drop 

 the food from above to his young, or else remains 

 hidden until his enemy — ^the robber hawk or eagle — 

 has gone away. Then he goes home to his sorrow- 

 ing wife and hungry children, to make them happy 

 by his safe return. 



The white-tailed kite of Argentina is an actor of 

 remarkable talents. He is indeed handsome, with 

 red eyes and white plumage, and his chief delight is 

 in playing in tall tree-tops, especially during a 

 wind-storm, when, with a group of fellow-players, 

 he perches upon a slender swajdng limb or branch, 

 and balances himself with outstretched wings, un- 

 til a strong gust blows him off his feet, when he 



