10(i ARABIAN KITE. 



same error was committed by Vieillot, Ch. Bonaparte, 

 and several other ornithologists. In his second edition 

 in 1840, M. Temminck corrected this error, which 

 seems to have arisen from the fact that both birds are 

 equally common at the Cape of Good Hope and in 

 Egypt, and at the same time pointed out that the 

 Parasite of Le Vaillant is easily distinguished from the 

 Black Kite by its stronger and more raised and con- 

 stantly yellowish beak; by the brighter red colour of 

 the abdomen and thighs of the adult; by the tail 

 being more forked, and the general plumage being 

 coloured in larger masses. 



Count Miihle mentions having obtained two speci- 

 mens of this bird in Greece, in the months of June 

 and August, which had beautiful wax-like beaks, — 

 tolerably stout, — black-banded tails, red brown thighs, 

 and black shafts on the feathers of the abdomen. 

 Degland says that it has also occurred in Dalmatia, 

 and Mr. Gurney in the following abstract, hints that 

 it has been taken in the south of France. 



"The African range of this species is much the 

 same as that of A. gabar, except that I rather doubt 

 whether it is so common in Egypt, (although one of 

 its synonymes is M. cegyptius.) It is said to occur 

 occasionally in Greece, and also in the south of 

 France. This species when adult, is readily distin- 

 guished by its yellowish white bill; but when younger 

 the bill is a brown horn-colour, and in that state it 

 might easily be confounded with the M. niger." 



The Egyptian Kite is said to be very voracious 

 and hardy, and it will sometimes dispute with the 

 carnivora for its prey. Its food is birds, fish, and 

 carrion. 



According to Degland, from whom the above passage 



