Book II. O^O^IT HO LO §r. ~~ 75" 



fewed Kites coming thither in flocks,and that info great numbers, that it vvas a miracle 

 to us. For being as it were aftonifhed at the ftrangenefs of the fpectacle, we could not 

 conceive where fuch a multitude of Kites could get themfelvesfood. Forfhould they 

 for but fifteen days fpace fly continually that way in fuch numerous fquadrons, I dare 

 confidently affirm, they would exceed the number of men living upon the Earth. 

 Howbeit, with us in England they arefeen all the year, neither do they fear or fly out- 

 Winters. * 



Pliny writes,thafc Kites feed upon no other meat but flefh : But Be//oniv<r aff\vms,That Their food 

 in Qjw a City of Egypt he hath feen them light upon Palm-trees, and eat the Dates, and P re y in 2- 

 But no queftion they do fo. only being compelled by hunger, and for want of their 

 natural and familiar food. They are very noifom to tame birds , efpecially Chickens, 

 Ducklings, and Gojlings } among which efpying one far from fhelter, or that is care- 

 lefly feparated a good diftance from the reft, or by any Other means lies fit and expo- 

 fed to rapine, they fingleit out, and fly round, round for awhile, marking it; then 

 of a iudden dart down as fwift as Lightning, and catch it up before it is aware, the 

 Dam in vain crying out, and men with hooting and ftones fearing them away. Yea, 

 fo bold are they, that they affect, to prey in Cities and places frequented by men 5, ib 

 that the very Gardens, and Courts, or Yards of houfes are not fecure from their ra- 

 vine. For which caufe our good Houfewives are very angry with them, and of all 

 birds hate and curfc them moll. 



The Grecians call it, Ix.tu#* , and'Tjcrx^, but more commonly "Ixks. 



§. VI. 



The More-Buzzard : Milvus iErnginofiis Aldrov. an Circus Bel/onii ? 



IT is lefTer than the Buzzard, of about the bignefs of a Crow. The Head is not fo Its E i gne f S) 

 great, nor the Crown fo flat and broad as in a Buzzard. Its length from the point and meafu'res, 

 of the Bill to the end of the Tail is more than twenty Inches. The diftance between 

 the tips of the Wings fpread fifty Inches. The Beak about an Inch and half long, Beak , 

 hooked, covered at bottom with a yellowifh green skin or Sear 5 elfe black. The 

 Nofthrils not round but long, of the figure of a Guiny Bean or Kidney. The Mouth Nares - 

 withinfide partly black, partly blewifh. The Tongue broad, fleffiy, loft, as in other ToUgu'e, 

 birds of prey. The hole or cleft in the Palate wide and open. The Eyes of a mean Eyes. 

 fize, having yellow hides [in the bird that I defcribedat Rome: RutMiWillughby 

 writes, that they are between an Afti andHazel colour. ] 



The Crown of the head is of a kind of clay colour, [of a pale fulvous, or between its colour. 

 yellow and* rujf us] variegated with black lines, viz. the (haft of each feather being *AS.ndy 

 black. The colour of the whole body, as well lower as upper fide is a dark ferru- red * 

 gineous, only at the middle joy nt of both Wings there isafpot of the fame reddifh 

 clay-colour [ex fulvo albicans~]withtht head, and the feathers at the root or rife of the 

 tail are fulvous. 



The Wings clofed reach almoft to the end of the Tail. The number of flag-fea- The wing % 

 thers in each Wing is twenty four. Thefe are blacker than the reft of the feathers : and *eir 

 The outmoft is above a hand-breadth Ihorter than that next to it. The covert-feathers JEs? ea " 

 of the underfide of the Wing are particoloured, brown and fulvous. The Tail is The Train, 

 about nine Inches long, made up of twelve feathers of equal length when it is fpread, 

 terminated in a circular Circumference, being particoloured of a dark and light ful- 

 vous or bay. The Legs are about an hand-breadth long, feathered down a little be- The Legs, 

 low the knee, longer and flenderer for the bignefs of the bird than in others of this 

 kind. The Legs and Feet yellow 5 the Talons black. The outer Toe in joyned to Toes nnd 

 the middle by an intermediate Membrane, reaching from the divarication up almoft Talon ^ 

 halfway. The Talon of the middle Toe is thinned on the inner fide into an edge. 

 The Gall is large: The blind Guts fhortand fmall: The Stomach membranous 5 in The entrain 

 that we differed full of the limbs of Birds and other flefh. 



The Bird here defcribed we fuppofe to be that called in England the More-buzzard, The More- 

 common to be feen in Heaths and Wafts 5 fitting upon fmall trees and (Tirubs : With |"f b z e a d fd d? " 

 long {lender yellow Legs: The whole Body of a dark colour^ the interiour Remiges 

 being paler or whitifh $ and which is faid to build in Fenny places. 



I take this Bird to be the fame with that Bellonius defcribes under the title of Circus, 

 as will appear to any one that fhallcompare the defcriptions 5 although Aldrovandm 

 makes them to be diftinct. Species, treating of them in feveral Chapters. 



L 3 This 



