FALCO MILVUS. 



KITE. 



■ ■ ■ iMH iiiMjiirwrn ■■ 



Generic Character. See Falco Chryfeatos. 

 Synonyms. 



Falco Milvus. Lin. Syft. 1. p. 126. 12. Ind. Orn. 

 i.p. 20. 37. 



Kite. Br. Zool. 1. 53. Ib.fol. tab. A. 2. Lath. Syn* 

 1. p. 61. 43. Ib.fupt. p. 17. Mow/. Or/;. JD/#. 

 Bewick's Br. Birds, Pt. 1. p. 63. 



JL^H E Kite weighs nearly two pounds and a half, and Is 

 in length rather more than two feet, and in breadth about five 

 feet ; bill ftrong ; crown of the head rather flat, the feathers 

 on that part have generally a rough appearance ; eyes fierce 3 

 tail long and much forked, the outer feathers frequently ex- 

 ceeding twelve inches in length ; legs and claws very ftrong ; 

 the female differs but little in colour from the male, but rather 

 exceeds it in fize, being fometimes two feet fix inches long,, 

 and five feet eight inches in breadth. 



This fpecies generally inhabits fuch woody places as are in 

 the vicinity of farms, as it chiefly depends on the produce of 

 the farm-yard for fubfiftence ; its food confifts of chickens, 

 young ducks, rabbits, and hares ; on the failure of thefe, it 

 greedily devours carrion, mice, rats, moles, reptiles of all 

 defcription, and even infects ; it is conftantly changing its 



refidence 



