ClafsII: KITE. 14, 



XI. The KIT E. 



LeMIlap royal. Be/on av. izg. Falco milvus, Lin. Jy/?. 126. 



Milvus. Gcfn. wv. 609. Glada. Faun. Suec. fp. 57, 



Glede, Puttok, Kyte Turneri. Le Milan royal, ^r/^owflo;. 1.414. 



Milvio, Nichio. Ald.a^. i, 201. Tab. 32. 



Kite, or Glead, Wil. orn. 744 Nibbio. Zinan. 82. 



Milvus. Plinii lib, x. c. 1 o. The Kite. Br. Zoo/. 66.Tai. A 2. 



Haiijfyn. a'v. ly. Glente. Bruanich ■^, 



Rother milon. Kram.iib, 



THE kite generally breeds in large forefts, or 

 wooded mountanous countries : it lays two, 

 or at moft three eggs: which, like thofe of all other 

 birds of prey, are much rounded, and very blunt at 

 the fmaller end ; they are white of color, and fpotted 

 •with a dirty yellow : its motion in the air diftinguiflies 

 it from all other birds ; being fo fmooth and even, 

 as to be fcarce perceptible ; fometimes it Vv^ill remain 

 quite motionlefs for a confiderable fpace ; at others 

 glides through the fky, without the left apparent 

 aflion of its wings : from thence is derived the old 

 name of Glead, or Glede, from the ^axon Glida. 

 Lord Bacon obferves, that when kites fly high, it 

 portends fair and dry weather. Some have fuppofed 

 thefe to be birds of paflage ; but in England they cer- 

 tainly continue the whole year. 



The tail of this kind is fufficient to diftinguifh it 

 from all other Britijh birds of prey, being forked. 

 Pliny thinks that the invention of the rudder arofe 

 from the obfervation men made of the various mo- 

 tions of that part, when the kite was fteering through 



L 3 the 



