KITE. 
7 
while I remained as long as I eould see, and finally joined them, just as a cold drifting rain, which eventually 
increased into a heavy downpour, set in. I had but little doubt that tins would soon Ml the young bird in 
present wjk^tate ^ ^ ^ ^ the nest> and was s0 placed that the male could not possibly gather the 
eggs or young together without being taken, X did not think it necessary to he very early on the spot, and it 
was nearly 11 A.M. before we reached the tree. On mounting to the nest we found the young one, as I had 
expected, quite dead and the trap unsprung. Having this morning more time to examine the locality, I 
discovered, within the distance of seventy or eighty yards, a large dead fir that was evidently a favourite resort 
for the old birds. It is, I think, very probable, since I had only a few moments previously lost sight of the 
male before shooting his mate, that he had by that time settled on this tree; being so close at hand would 
account for his having deserted the nest. Beneath the branches I found the remains of over thirty Grouse, a 
few quite fresh ; but the great majority were only bare and weatherbeaten skeletons, and had evidently laid for 
many months. Feathers, feet, wings, and bones were scattered in all directions ; and the heather was, in some 
parts, quite white with the droppings of the birds. There were no other remains or leathers (except, of course, 
those plucked out by the birds while dressing their own plumage) besides those ol Grouse. The tree, which 
was somewhat singular in shape, must have been one of the oldest in the wood : at the height of about ten or 
a dozen feet the huge stem divided into several large and widely-spreading limbs ; in various parts of the 
branches, and also in the trunk itself, were numbers of marks of Woodpeckers, the holes having apparently 
been bored for many years. While we were waiting, I caught sight of a large bird settling in a tree, at the 
distance of three or four hundred yards, in a dense part of the forest. Imagining it might possibly be the 
Kite, I crawled, by means of a small gully, within range. On reaching the spot, however, it turned out to be 
only a Heron, which had pitched on its nest; a few of these birds are now and then found breeding singly in 
the large woods in this part of the country. 
“ As there seemed no chance that the male would now return, we removed the young bird and eggs, taking 
also a portion of the upper part of the nest ; this, as usual, was constructed with dead twigs and small branches 
of fir, while the lining was composed of moss, sheep’s wool, a few pieces of old rag, and a quantity of scraps of 
paper. In addition to numberless torn and crumpled slips from various publications I could not make out, 
there were several pages of a * Bradshaw,’ portions of the ‘ Field,’ ‘ Times,’ ‘ Scotsman,’ and some west-country 
paper, as well as a packet of tissue-paper neatly folded. Not the slightest remains of food were on the nest. 
“ The tw0 c °S s varied considerably, one being a dirty greenish white, and the other marked with several 
blotches and streaks of reddish brown; the latter was just on the point of hatching, while the former was 
addled. 
“.The y° un S bird had a long hairy tuft of white down on the top of the head ; on the back the down was 
of a dirty-brown hue, and on the underparts white. The eye was not opened, but what could be discerned was 
fiesh CU SreyC ° l0Ur; M1 Llack ’ lightish towards the P° infc ; cere pale yellowish flesh; legs and feet pale 
“The female shot the previous day was a fair specimen, in the usual summer plumage. Eye very pale 
S-," •••■■ — <— »-> — C 
■C— > . 
in the usual manner ; the work ofZlvZZ. ” n T lmp0SSlWe *°. “ Wrd 80 >' 0U "S 
“ 1878 June 27th tw p xi 1 nshable portions was, I believe, somewhat complicated 
proceeded s’everal mile; further nort^to T both^n ^ * prCVi ° US ™^ments ; then 
road we followed was partieularl"^ unln and * ' T WS “ d ™e 
} ° Un6Ven ’ and the countr y ™ P^sed through wild in the extreme. 
