174 



state, bat Owen Wilson gives July to May as 

 dates for its occurence. 



Habitat. — All sorts of grassy places, 

 heaths and moss, railway banks, pastures, 

 grassy lanes, &c. It is distributed ail over 

 the British Isles, and occurs commonly in 

 most of places, but there are some districts 

 (the neighbourhood of Huddersheid for in- 

 stance) where it is entirely absent without 

 any apparent reason. It occurs all over 

 Europe, except in the extreme north, and 

 occurs also in Asia and Northern Africa. 

 In Kirby's Catalogue, Colorado is given as a 

 locality, but it seems strange if it occurs in a 

 place so widely separated from its other 

 habitats. 



Variation. — A variety of this species 

 with paler ground color sometimes occurs. 

 Specimens are not uncommon with a distinct 

 dark border round the wings, (pi. 16, 4a) 

 this is called Lyllus, Esp., and is most abun- 

 dant in the South of Europe, but is far from 

 unfrequent in Britain, and the species may 

 be found in every degree of variation from the 

 type to the extreme form of the variety. 

 One in my collection, taken in Sherwood 

 Forest, is very pale coloured, which makes 

 the dark border still more distinct. It is 

 worth while noticing whether the dark bor- 

 dered form in this country come from larvae 

 that have hybernated, or fed up during 

 summer. A variety named Pamphilordes, 

 Reak., is given in Kivby, but I do not know 

 how it differs. 



Parasit^S- — Common as is this butterfly 

 the larva is rarely met with, and I have 

 heard of no parasites being named from it. 

 It only needs careful searching for in grassy 

 places. 



(Italy), 



BRITISH BIRDS; THEIR 

 NESTS AND EGGS. 



By S. L. Moslf.y. 

 Genus VI. Milvus. 

 Milvus. — The Latin name for Kite. 

 This genus is characterised bv its great 



length of tail and wings, short legs, and 

 I general swallow-like appearance. Only one 

 ! species is — or has been— a native of Britain, 

 and may at once be distinguished from all 

 other hawks by its forked tail. A single speci- 

 i men of the Black Kite has been obtained in 

 ; Britain ; it differs from the present species 

 ': in being much darker in its plumage. The 

 Swallow-tailed Kite is an American species, 

 and stragglers have occasionally reached our 

 1 shores. Both these latter species will be 

 I noticed as accidental visitors. 



7. KITE. 



Milvus regalis, Briss. 

 (GladeSweden). 

 Milan Royal (France). 

 Pojana \ 

 Milvo 

 Nicchio 

 Nibbio J 



Rother milan (Germany). 

 Barcud (Anct. Brit.) 

 This bird is sometimes called " Gled " in 

 England, and this, as well as the Swedish 

 I name, are probably derived from the Saxon 

 I word ',' glida," to glide or sail on the wing. 

 Regalis. — Royal, from Rego (L. ) I rule. 

 Size. — Male 2 ft. 2 in. in length, and about 

 I 5 ft. from tip to tip of wings. Female 2 ft. 6 in. 

 ! long, and 5 ft. 6 in., in expanse. 



Plumage.— Mr. Varley, of Huddersfield, 

 j has a very fine specimen in his collection, 

 from which the figure has been taken. The 

 ' head is ashy grey; back reddish brown, the 

 I feathers margined with lighter red ; 1 ; : - 

 \ nearlv black ; tail reddish Drown, the margin 

 of the feathers lighter. Throat reddish white 

 ! gradually increasing to burnt sienna, each 

 j feather with a dark stripe down the centre 

 I Bill bluish horn color ; cere, legs, and eves 

 j yellow. The sexes do not differ in plumage, 

 The young in down are white. 

 Varieties of this species seem to be verj 

 rare, I believe a white one has been recorded 

 I but cannot at present refer to it 



Note. — The note of the Kite is describee 



