THE KITE. 
Of the falcon tribe the Kite is the best 
known, and the most ignoble. He may be dis- 
tinguished from others of the same class, by his 
forked tail, and the slow circular eddies which 
he describes in the air previous to pouncing on 
his prey. He appears, indeed, to rest himself 
upon the air without making the smallest effort 
in flying. As, however, almost every bird of 
flight is able to elude his pursuit, he subsists 
only on accidental carnage ; and may be con- 
sidered as an insidious thief, who, on finding a 
small bird wounded, or a young chicken strayed 
from its mother, improves the moment of ca- 
lamity to his own advantage. Sometimes in- 
deed his hunger urges him to acts of despera- 
tion. One has been seen to fly round and 
round, for a while, to mark a clutch of chick- 
ens, and then suddenly dart upon the unresist- 
ing little animal, and carry it off ; the parent 
( 44 ) 
