K E R 
fhort; and the hind are almoft the length of the 
whole bod^. On the fore-feet there are five toes, 
with large conic, ftrong claws; and on the hind 
there are only three. The tail is very long, ex- 
tending as far as the ears, thick at the bafe, and 
tapering to a point; and the hair is foft, and of an 
afh-colour, but fomewhat lighter on the belly than 
the back. The length of this animal is generally 
upv/ards of three feet ; and the tail meafures nearly 
thirty inches. 
The Kanguru lurks among the unpaftured grafs 
which covers the defolate country it inhabits. It 
feeds entirely on vegetables; and walks wholly on 
it's hind-legs, ufing it's fore-feet only for the pur- 
pofes of digging and carrying it's food to it's 
mouth. It appears to be extremely timid and 
harmlefs, as it flies at the fight of a human crea- 
ture with prodigious bounds. When in motion, 
it carries it's tail at right-angles with it's body; 
and no dog can arreft it's flight. It's flefli is 
reckoned wholefome and palatable. 
KARAGAN. An animal found in Great Tar- 
tary, ftrongly refembling the brant fox; of which 
it is either a variety, or very nearly allied to it. 
KATA, of Syria. A bird of the grous kind, 
about the fize of the partridge ; and, with refpeft 
to Ihape, between that and the pigeon. The bill 
is of a light colour tipt with black, and fhort and 
thick ; the legs are white, and covered with feathers 
on their fore-parts ; thofe of the toes fl:and for- 
wards; and there is a fmall fpur behind. The 
plumage round the eyes and the fore -part of the 
neck is of a light colour, except beneath the throat, 
where it is black. The breafl: is of a cinnamon 
hue, bounded at it's rife and extremity by a black 
ring; the belly is white; and the back, as well as 
that part of the vv^ings next to it, are of a moufe- 
colour, with an admixture of bright yellow, white, 
and black. The long feathers of the wings are 
alfo of a moufe-colour ; thofe on the rump are beau- 
tifully variegated with black, white, and yellow; 
and the tail, which is fliort, terminates, like that of 
die pigeon, in tvv'o long, narrow, black feathers, 
exceeding the others about three inches. 
During the months of May and June, thefe 
birds are very numerous about Aleppo. Their 
flefh is black, dry, and hard; neverthelefs, the 
Turks reckon it very delicious. 
KERMES. Minute animals found in great 
abundance on ever-greens of the oak kind, and 
forming excrefcences of confiderable utility both 
in the materia medica and the art of dyeing. 
The Kermes is properly an infeft of the progall 
clafs, and of that genus whofe figure refembles a 
(lightly truncated fphere. It is found on a parti- 
cular kind of the ilex, known by the name of the 
ilex aculeata cocciglandifera, which never rifes to 
any confiderable height : it is very common in the 
more uncultivated parts of Provence and Lan- 
guedoc; in Spain; and in the iOands of the Archi- 
pelago, particularly Crete. The peafants make 
their harvefl: of thefe infefts from off the ilex at the 
proper feafon. 
But though the hiftory of this drug is a fubjedl 
which merits the attention of every naturaliil, a 
number of years have elapfed fince it has been exa- 
mined with any degree of accuracy. De La Hire 
and Sedileau paved a way to it's invefliigation 
by their hiftory of the gall-infe£t of the orange- 
tree: but all the advantages which misht have 
been expedled to flOw from thence, were not foon 
obtained ; nor was the refcmblance and the fcrid 
K I D 
analogy between the flat and the fp'nerical gall- 
infeds fo foon obferved as mJght reafonably have 
been expcded. 
When the Kermes has attained it's full growth, 
it appears like a fmali fhell fixed to the branches 
of this flirub, of a bright and Ihining colour refem- 
bling that of a ripe plumb, and covered with the 
fame fort of powder which overfpreads that fruit: 
this powder is commonly called the flower of the 
Kermes. 
According as the winter is more or lefs mild, 
the harveft of Kermes is proportionably plentiful; 
and the natives of tkole countries where they 
abound, always prognofticate a fine feafon when 
the fpring has been free from frofts and fogs. It 
is obferved that the lowefl: and oldeft fhrubs are 
always moft prolific in thefe infe<5ls ; 'and thofe pro- 
duced in maritime countries are invariably found 
to be larger and finer than fuch as come from more 
inland parts. 
It is no unufijal thing for the natives to have 
tv/o harvefts of Kermes in one year: thofe of the 
latter feafon are fmaller and lefs valuable than thofe 
of the firft; and are found not only on the branches, 
but alfo on the leaves of the fhrub; exadly analo- 
gous to the cuftom of all the gall-infefts, which 
leave the branches to feed on the leaves, v/here 
their yet tender trunks can find an eafy entrance. 
The Kermes is of the moft eflfential fervice in 
medicine: it is cardiac, deficcative, and aftringent; 
it fortifies the ftomach, and prevents abortions. 
In the art of dyeing, it is of ftill greater utility; it 
enters into the compofition of the fcarlet dye, and 
affords a moft beautiful and permanent tinge. 
There are feveral varieties of this valuable infed, 
but all agreeing in the two grand characters of 
beauty and utility. See Coccus. 
KESTREL; the Falco Tinnunculus of Lin- 
naeus. A beautiful bird of the hawk kind, called 
alfo the ftannel and windhover. The male of this 
Ipecies is about fourteen inches in length, and two 
feet three inches in breadth. It's colours, at firfl: 
fight, diftinguifh it from all other hawks: the 
crown of the head, and the greater part of the tail, 
are of a fine light grey hue; and on the lower part 
of the latter there is a broad black bar, fucceeded 
by white tips. The back and coverts of the wings 
are red, inclining to purple, and embelliflied with 
elegant black fpots ; and the interior fides of the 
quill-feathers are duflcy, deeply indented with 
white. The whole under-fide of the bird is of a 
pale ferruginous colour, fpotted with black; and 
the cere and legs are yellow. 
The female of this ipecies weighs eleven ounces : 
her colours are lefs vivid than thofe of the malei 
her breaft is of a dirty white hue ; and the centre 
of each feather has an oblong dufl^y ftreak point- 
ing downwards. 
The Keftrel breeds in the hollows of decayed 
trees, the holes of high rocks, towers, and ruinous 
buildings; and lays four eggs, which appear as if 
deeply befmeared with red, through which a few 
fpots of white are perceptible. It feeds on field- 
mice, fmiall birds, and infedls, which it poffeffes the 
faculty of difcovering at a vaft diftance. This 
bird is frequently obferved in the air, fixed to one 
place, and fanning itfelf with it's wings; at which 
times it is watching for it's prey. When falconrv 
was fafliionable, the Keftrel was tamed, and trained 
for catching fmall birds and young partridges. 
KID. A name given to the young of the goat 
kind. See Goat, 
KIDDOW, 
