K I N 
Feathers are white towards their bottoms, with a 
row of tranfverfe black fpots; towards the tip there 
is a broad bar of black ; and beyond it the tips are 
white. This bird was firfl: defcribed by Edwards j 
and, according to hinn, is a native of Perfia. 
King-Fisher, Surinam. This fpecies has a 
long, flraight, black bill, with channels in the up- 
per mandible. The head is of a dirty brown co- 
lour, brighter towards the bill, and darker in the 
hinder part; under the bill there is a pretty large 
white fpot of an irregular figure ; the whole body 
is of a dirty black hue with a blueifh glofs; the 
wings are of a fine dark fliining green colour, a fin- 
gle white feather appearing among the coverts j the 
upper fide of the tail is a dark glofiy green, the 
under being dufky ; the two centre feathers are of 
an enormous length; and the legs and feet are 
black. This bird, which is a native of Surinam, 
is diftinguifhed by Linnasus under the name of Al- 
cedo Paradifea. 
King-Fisher, Spotted. The bill of this bird 
is dufl<y; a broad line runs from the bill on each 
fide of the head; and above and beneath the eyes 
there are narrow lines of orange. The throat, 
breaft, belly, thighs, coverts beneath the tail, and 
inner coverts of the wings, are of a fine orange- 
colour; between the back and neck paflTes a broad 
lift or collar of black feathers, edged with white; 
the crown of the head is black, but gradually be- 
comes green on the hinder part of the neck; the 
fides of the head are green; and the back, rump, 
upper fides of the wings, and tail, are alfo of a fine 
glofiy dark green hue, variegated with white fpots. 
The quills within-fide, and the under-fide of the 
tail, are of a dark afli-colour, with whitifli fpots on 
their webs ; the tips of the quills without are duficy 
an inch deep; and the legs and feet are of a reddifii 
fiefh-colour. This fpecies is a native of Suri- 
nam. 
KiNG-FisHER, Crested. The bill of this bird 
is of the common fhape and colour; a line of 
orange pafi^es under the eyes; the throat under the 
bill is white; and the crown of the head is covered 
with long blue green feathers, variegated with black 
lines, forming an elegant loofe creft. The feathers 
immiediately above the eyes are blue ; the hinder 
part of the neck, the back, rump, wings, and tail, 
are of a beautiful ultramarine blue colour; the tips 
of the quills are dufky ; the inner covert-feathers of 
the wings are orange-coloured ; the under-fide of 
the tail is dufky; the breaft, belly, thighs, and co- 
vert-feathers under the tail, are a bright orange; 
and the legs and feet are red. This bird, which is 
a native of the Eaft Indies, was firft defcribed by 
Edwards. 
KiNG-FiSHER OF Bengal. This bird is fome- 
what fmaller than the thrufli. The bill is about 
three inches long, of a fine fcarlet colour, thick at 
the bafe, and fharp at the end; the irides are a fine 
yellow; the head, the upper part of the neck, and 
the back, are brown ; and the breaft, throat, and 
part of the belly, are white, having five large brown 
ifpots on each wing. The lower part of the back, 
the wings, and the tail, are of a fine blueifti green 
colour, except the coverts of the wings, which are 
brown ; and the legs and toes are orange-coloured, 
and very fhort. 
King-Fisher, Small, of Bengal. This fpe- 
cies, which is about the fize of the common King- 
Fiftier, has a fine fcarlet bill, pretty thick at the 
bafe. On the forehead there is a yellow fpot, and 
another under the throat. A broad black line 
runs from the bill quite round the eyes. The head 
KIT 
is adorned with a tuft of a dull red colour; and be- 
neath it there is a dark blue line, feparated from 
the back by a broad wliite ftripe. The back and 
wings are a dark blue; the upper part of the tail is 
red ; the belly, thighs, and lower part of the tail, are 
a beautiful yellow ; and the legs and feet jire red- 
diflo. 
King-Fisher of Lu^on. This bird is about 
the fize of the blackbird : the top of the head, and 
part of the neck, are brown; and this colour like- 
wife encircles the eyes, but above them there is a 
fliort white line extending to the bill. The lefler 
coverts of the wings are of the fame colour with 
the head and neck; the primaries are blue and 
black in their middles, tipt with the latter; the up- 
per part, and the middle of the back, are brown- 
ifli; the rump and coverts of the tail are a bright 
fivy blue; and the tail itfelf is a deep blue. The 
fore-part of the neck, the breaft, and the belly, are 
white, with a longitudinal brown mark in the mid- 
dle of each feather; and between the neck and the 
back there is a collar of fimilar colours. I'his 
fpecies was firft deicribed by Sonnerat. 
King-Fisher, White-Collared, Philip- 
pine. This curious fpecies, originally defcribed 
by Sonnerat in his Voyage to New Guinea, is 
fomcwhat lefs than the thrufli: the head, neck, 
wings, tail, and back, are blue fiiaded with green ; 
the throat, breaft, belly, and under-coverts of the 
tail, are white; and a circle of the fame colour fur- 
rounds the neck. The feet, and the upper mandi- 
ble, are of a pale black hue; and die lower man- 
dible has a yellowifli bafe. 
KITE; the Falco Milvus of LinnjEus. A well- 
known bird of the hawk kind, which may be dif- 
tinguiflied from all the reft of this tribe by his 
forky tail, as well as by his flow floating motion, 
being almoft perpetually on the wing. He ap- 
pears to repofe on the bofom of the air, without 
making the leaft effort to fupport himfelf. Pliny 
apprehends that the invention of the rudder ori- 
ginated from obfervations made of the various mo- 
tions of the tail of the Kite when fteering through 
the air: certain, however, it is, that the moft ufe- 
ful arts were originally copied from animals, though 
mankind may have improved on them. 
The Kite fubfifts principally on accidental car- 
nage, as almoft- every bird is able to efcape from 
him. He may tlierefore be confidered as an infi- 
dious thief, who only prowls about; and, when he 
perceives a fmall bird wounded, or a young chicken 
that has ftrayed too far from it's parent, inftantly 
avails himfelf of the hour of calam.ity, and, like a 
famifhed glutton, deftroys the viftim without 
mercy. 
The Kite ufually breeds in large forefts, or 
woody mountainous countries; and lays two, and 
fometimes three, white eggs, marked with dirty 
yellow fpots ; which, like thofe of other predaceous 
birds, are very round and blunt at their fmaller 
ends. 
Lord Bacon remarks, that when the Kite flies 
high, fine and dry weather may be expefted. It 
has been reckoned a bird of paffage^ by fome au- 
thors; but it is now univerfally known to continue 
in England throughout the year. It's length is 
twenty- feven inches; the expanfion of it's wings is 
about five feet; and it's weight is forty-four 
ounces. The bill is two inches long, and very 
much hooked at the extremity; the ftcin at the 
bafe of the bill is yellow; the head and chin are 
of a light grey colour, though fometimes white 
marked with oblong ftreaks of black 3 the neck 
and 
