74 O^RClTHOLOgr. Book II. 



4. v. 



The Kite or Glead ; Milvus cauda* forcipata. 



its weight T T weighed forty four ounces. Its length from the point of the Beak to the end of 

 and meafures. £ t ^ e Xail was twenty eight inches. The Wings extended were equal in breadth to 

 fixty four Inches. The Beak from the tip to the corners of the mouth was two inches 

 long. The upper Chap hung down half an Inch. 

 rfieu 00 -er r ° f ^ e Head and Chin are of a pale aih-colour, varied with black lines along the 

 P art! PpCr (hafts of the feathers. The Neck red, the middle part of the feathers being black. 

 The Back dusky or brown like a Buzzards. The feathers next the Tail of the fame 

 colour with it, having their middle parts or ihafts black. The lefler rows of Wing- 

 feathers are party-coloured of red, black and white 3 the middle part of each feather 

 along the fhaft being black. The long Scapular feathers covering the Back have 

 black lines like the flags. The feathers covering the infide of the Wing are red, with 

 The colour of black fpots in their middles. The Plumage of the lower fide hath the edges afh-colou- 

 tiK nether re d 9 then follows red, the middle part being black : The black part is by degrees lefs 

 and lefs from the Chin to the Tail 3 (6 that under the Tail only the (hafts of the fea- 

 thers are black : The red colour is alio more dilute toward the Tail. 

 Thefirfl row The flag-feathers of the Wings are in number twenty four, of which the five out- 

 thers!" 8 ~ fea ' m °ft are black, the next fix are of a dark cinereous colour 3 all the reft to the laft are 

 again black 3 the laft are particoloured of red, white, and brown. All but the five 

 or fix exteriour feathers have in their outward webs black tranfverfe lines, the ipaces 

 between the lines being whitilh, efpecially from the fixth to the eleventh. Thefore- 

 moft of the fecond row of Wing-feathers are black 3 as alfo the baftard Wing. The 

 Wings doled are longer than the middle feathers of the Tail fhorter than theout- 

 moft. 

 The Tail. The Tail is forked, the middle feathers being eleven Inches long, the outmoft four- 



teen. The colour red \_rujfus.~] The extreme feathers blackiin : All but the two 

 middlemoft have black, crofs lines, the middle fpaces or diftanees being whitilh. The 

 tipsofallare white. 

 The Eeak, The Bill is black, having fcarce any tooth-like Appendices : The Tongue broad and 



Tongue, thick, as in other carnivorous Birds. In the Palate there is a Cavity equal to the 

 Sear. Tongue. The Sear or skin about the Nofthrils is yellow. In the roof of the mouth 

 Eyes, is a double cranky or hole. The Eyes are great : The hides of a pale, but lovely 

 yellow. 

 ToeswidTa- ^ ne ^ e g s anc * *' eet ve ^ ow : The outmoft foretoe joyned to the middle one by a. 

 ions. Membrane, reaching almoft half way. The Talons black 3 that of the back-toe be- 



ing the greateft. The Talon of the middle toe hath a fharp edge on the infide. 

 The Entrails. It hath a great Gall 3 a large Craw. The ftreight gut below the Appendices is much 



dilated 5 as in other of this kind. 

 Manner of Spreading its Wings it fo ballances it felf in the Air, that it can reft as it were im- 

 yin8 ' movable a long time in the fame place 3 yea, without at all, or but rarely moving its 



Wings, it glides through the Air from place to place 3 whence perchance it took its 

 Englilhname Glead. 



By the figure of its Tail alone it is fufficiently diftinguifhed from all other Birds of 

 prey we have hitherto feen. 

 Her Tail fhk fort of Birds ( faith Pliny ) feems to ham taught men the Art of fleering a Ship by 



a C Rudder 5 » r f ^ e turning of their Tails $ Nature flnwing in the Air what was needful to be done in the 

 direct her Deep. For hence ( as Aldrovandus goes on ) it is probable that men learned to ap- 

 fli s ht - ply a Rudder 3 viz. When they faw the Kite, by turning her Tail fometimes this way, 



fometimes that way, to direct, or vary her courfe, and turn about her body at plea- 

 fure 3 they alfo attempting fomewhat like, added the Helm to the Ship, by winding 

 and turning whereof to and fro they could dired and impel it whither they pleafed, 

 which other wife would be driven uncertainly and at random by the Winds and 

 Tides. 

 Kites faid to Kites they fay are Birds of paflage, ftiifting places according to the feafons of the 

 pafe 5 ° f Y ear - when l was once C faith BeUonius ) on the (horeof the Euxine Sea, on Thrace- 

 fide, about the latter end of April, on a certain very high Hill, near to that Pillar 

 which is at the mouth of the Bofyhorm, where a Fowler had fpread Nets for catch- 

 ing of Sparrow-Hawk?) which came flying from the right fide of the Sea 3 we ob- 



ferved 



