106 ARABIAN KITE. 
same error was committed by Vieillot, Ch. Bonaparte, 
and several other ornithologists. In his second edition 
in 1840, M. Temminck corrected this error, which 
seems to have arisen from the fact that both birds are 
equally common at the Cape of Good Hope and in 
ligypt, and at the same time pointed out that the 
Parasite of Le Vaillant is easily distinguished from the 
Black Kite by its stronger and more raised and con- 
stantly yellowish beak; by the brighter red colour of 
the abdomen and thighs of the adult; by the tail 
being more forked, and the general plumage being 
coloured in larger masses. 
Count Mihle mentions having obtained two speci- 
mens of this bird in Greece, in the months of June 
and August, which had beautiful wax-like beaks,— 
tolerably stout,—black-banded tails, red brown thighs, 
and black shafts on the feathers of the abdomen. 
Degland says that it has also occurred in Dalmatia, 
and Mr. Gurney in the following abstract, hints that 
it has been taken in the south of France. 
“The African range of this species is much the 
same as that of A. gabar, except that I rather doubt 
whether it is so common in Egypt, (although one of 
its synonymes is M. Aigyptius.) It is said to occur 
occasionally in Greece, and also in the south of 
France. This species when adult, is readily distin- 
guished by its yellowish white bill; but when younger — 
the bill is a brown horn-colour, and in that state it 
might easily be confounded with the M. niger.” 
The Egyptian Kite is said to be very voracious 
and hardy, and it will sometimes dispute with the 
carnivora for its prey. Its food is birds, fish, and 
carrion. 
According to Degland, from whom the above passage 
