274 FALCON. 



218 —BRAZILIAN KITE. 



Falco braziliensis, Ind. Orn. i. p. 21. Gm. Lin. i. 262. Rati. Syn. p. 17. 6. Will. Om, 

 p.42. t.9. Bm.i. 405. /c?. 8vo. 116. JSw/. i. 222. Daud.n. UQ. Shaw's 

 Zool.y'n. 106. 



Caracara, Marc. Bras. p. 211; Voi/: d'Azara, iii. No, 4. 



Brazilian Kite, Gen. Syn. i. 63. Will. Engl. p. 76. 



SIZE of a Kite, with the bulk and strength of the greater 

 Buzzard; length 21 in. Bill black; irides gold-colour ; round the 

 eyes yellow; general colour of the plumage rufous, spotted with 

 white and yellow ; wings reach to near the end of the tail, which is 

 nine inches long, the colour white and brown mixed, but whether 

 forked in shape or not, is not mentioned ; legs yellow, claws black ; 

 in some the breast and belly are white. 



Inhabits Brazil, and there known by the name of Caracara ; 

 said to be a great destroyer of poultiy. This is somewhat rare in 

 the neighbourhood of the River Plata, but found more frequent 

 about Paraguay, where it is called Carancho ; at Brazil named Gavia 

 (Buzzard). These birds begin to pair in June, and make the nest 

 on the tops of trees, fonned of sticks, almost flat, and lined with 

 hairs ; lay two eggs, dark-coloured, spotted with red, and somewhat 

 pointed at the smaller end ; observed mostly in pairs, or single, 

 except in pursuit of prey, A\'hen four or five are sometimes seen 

 together ; will attack lambs, and pursue other birds who may have 

 been in possession of spoil, and force them to give it up, the Eagles 

 perhaps excepted ; also is very destructive to small birds, which it 

 takes on the wing, and has been known to force the Cariion Vulture 

 to give up its prey. 



