242 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The following are the principal opinions of our ornithologists 

 as to the appearance of the Black Kite in Italy : — 



Italy generally. — Salvadori, T.* : This Kite is rare in 

 Italy; still there is scarcely a province in which it has not been 

 found, and it has even bred in several places. Savi, P.f : " It is 

 very rare in almost every part of Italy," &c. He says that it 

 lives constantly along the Riviera di Levante on the mountains. 

 Giglioli J : A rare species in Italy, but it has been found in 

 small numbers everywhere in the central and southern regions, 

 in which it has also bred, &c. Idem§ : It is not a common 

 species, but perhaps resident in Italy, in all parts of which a 

 few individuals have been taken. Salvadori, T.|| : A summer 

 bird, but rare ; it has nested in some localities. Martorelli, 

 G.1F : " The Black Kite cannot be said to be common in any part 

 of Italy, though it breeds in some localities. ... It is much 

 more easily found in our country in the fine than in the bad 

 season, and it is therefore a summer bird, and one of passage." 

 Continuing, the author says that Giglioli had five examples of 

 the Black Kite, caught at one and the same time at Lanzo. I 

 cannot tell how Martorelli could have made such a blunder, for 

 the renowed Professor of Florence says : — " In the Central 

 Italian collection I have eight specimens, caught at Lanzo 

 (October), Nice (December), Genoa (July), Florence (autumn), 

 Terracina (April, May) ; so that the eight specimens were taken 

 in the five above-mentioned localities. This species is not cited 

 as Italian in the ' Storia Natumle degli Uccelli.' 



Piemonte. — It is omitted by Bonelli ; considered rather rarer 

 than Milvus ictinus by Camusso. Giglioli speaks of an adult 

 male which he had from the neighbourhood of Turin, May 15th, 

 1886. 



Lombardia. — Monti states that the Black Kite is rare at 

 Como; he notes a specimen from Lugano. Messrs. Prada, 

 Mazza, and Pavesi record this species from the Province of 



an Italian species; he only adds, like Brisson, " Mures et Locustas in agris 

 inquirit ; Pullos tamen Avium adhuc volandi impotentes avidissime rapit." 



* Faun, d'ltalia, ii. Uccelli, p. 13 (1872). 



i Orn. Toscana, vol. i. p. 38 (1827). J Elenco, p. 40 (1881). 



§ Avif. Ital. n. 245, p. 248 (1886). || Elenco Ucc. Ital. p. 47 (1887). 



IT Monogr. Ucc. Rap. d'ltal. p. 11(5 (1895). 



