NESTING OF THE BLACK KITE IN VERONA. 253 



been able to observe, it is not easy to kill successive individuals, 

 for the birds are very wary, and after the first few shots they soar 

 very high ; but, if the gunner hide himself carefully, the Kites fly 

 down again, and can be killed with a good gun, especially when 

 they enter or leave their nests. On the 3rd of June last year, 

 without using all those precautions that the occasion would re- 

 quire, I was able in the space of a few hours to shoot down three 

 fine Kites. They can be caught more easily when they have 

 young ones. This species is commonly called Poja negra or P. 

 mora by the inhabitants of Grezzano, and those who kill any 

 Black Kites are blessed by the country people, for they see that 

 the risk of their chickens being carried off is thus reduced. The 

 following is a list of those collections that include Black Kites 

 killed at Grezzano : — 



(a) Collection Perini, of Verona, two specimens. 



(b) Count Brasavola, of Verona, two specimens. 



(c) Count Reali, of Treviso, two specimens. 



(d) Collection Cipolla, of Verona, three specimens. 



(e) Collection De Betta, of Verona, one specimen. 



(f) Collection Bennati, of Verona, two specimens. 



(g) My own collection, eight specimens. 



Besides these twenty specimens, the Rev. Carcereri had 

 several birds, which he killed himself, stuffed by Dal Nero, which 

 he then gave to his friends. 



The Black Kite is a species which varies very little in its 

 dress. When young, the colours are darker and brighter than 

 when at full maturity. The Rev. Carcereri informs me that 

 almost all those he killed resembled one another. As for size, 

 the female is always larger than the male. 



