BLACK-WINGED KITE. 111 
From Le Vaillant we read, “It rests on the tops of 
trees, where the pure white of its stomach glistens in 
the sun; but when it flies it is by its piercing cry 
that its presence is announced. It lives upon large 
insects, such as grasshoppers, mantis, etc; and it chases 
the Crows and Magpies which live upon the same 
kind of food, with much courage from its domicile. It 
exhales an odour of musk very distinctly. It places its 
nest large and wide in the bifurcation of trees, lining 
it with feathers and moss, and laying four or five white 
eggs.” 
The Rev. H. B. Tristram, in his “Catalogue of Alge- 
rian Birds,” says of Falco melanopterus :—<This beau- 
tiful bird is extremely rare in Algeria. A female 
specimen was the only one obtained during the spring. 
The egg is interesting as corroborating by its character 
the -position of the species between Astur and Buteo. 
It is believed to be hitherto unknown to British col- 
lectors.” 
The adult male and female have the vertex, nape, 
and mantle ashy grey, lighter on the head. Face, front 
of neck, and under parts of body pure white, shaded 
with bluish ash-colour upon the sides of the cheek; 
eye-brows and a spot in front of the eyes black; wings, 
when folded, partly black and partly a more or less dark 
ash-colour, with the carpus and the edge pure white. 
Tail shaded with grey above, white below; beak black; 
iris and feet orange yellow. 
Young birds.—Colours duller, with the feathers of 
the upper parts edged with ferruginous red; those of 
the under parts longitudinally marked with brown 
streaks or spots; wings slate-coloured, with the coverts 
and quills ending in a reddish white; tail ash-coloured, 
tipped with white. When first born they are covered 
