250 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



forming a kind of zone in the middle part of the same egg. It 

 bears some resemblance to the egg figured as No. 2 on the 

 plate v. of Seebohm's work, but would resemble still more that 

 of the Common Bunting, and appears to be a rare variety. 

 Colonel Irby mentions the great variety of colour noticed in the 

 eggs of the Black Kite, and Seebohm has described several of 

 them. 



The following are the dimensions of the eggs which I have 

 preserved : — 



Egg of May, 1891. Length, 5'68 cm. ; breadth, 4*30 cm. 



Egg of June, 1892. Length, 5*54 cm.; breadth, 4*15 cm. 



Egg of June, 1893. Length, 5*18 cm.; breadth, 3*79 cm. 



The females only incubate, and that for a period of from 

 eighteen to twenty days. The male does not share the duty of 

 incubation, but flies continually round his mate at a very great 

 pace, and, unless disturbed, he continues to wheel gently around 

 the eyrie. If he is aware of anyone's presence, he rises high in 

 the air, flying round in wide circles, as though desirous of 

 touching the tops of the highest trees, but always keeps out of 

 shot, and, if shot at, he rises still higher; if he is left alone, he 

 slowly descends again. The inhabitants of the castle say that if 

 they gently strike the tree in which a female Black Kite is 

 sitting, the bird at once flies away. I could never observe this 

 fact, and the birds which I killed were males. 



It is difficult to reach the nest, which is always situated at a 

 great height, involving a perilous climb. The Black Kite 

 exhibits great affection for its young, which are fed by both the 

 male and female parents. Young chickens are their favourite 

 food, being plentiful in the country. Like other birds of prey 

 {Circus (eruginosus, C. cyaneus, Buteo vulgaris, &c), the Black 

 Kite feeds its young at more or less regular hours ; that is, 

 according to what the Kev. Carcereri says, in the morning from 

 about 9 to 11 a.m., and in the evening one or two hours before 

 sunset. I have commonly observed this fact with C. ceruginosus, 

 which also feeds its young ones with chickens, and which breeds 

 regularly in the marshes of Monselice. Its hours for feeding 

 were about eight in the morning, and three in the afternoon. 

 This may be explained by the fact that it cannot always get hold 

 of chickens without being exposed to danger, and it must generally 



