164 
KITES. 
accustomed as they are to pounce at once on their 
game, and if disappointed, leaye it, and continue 
their search elsewhere, they will, at times, follow 
a devoted bird for a length of time with great per- 
severance. Not long ago, some fishermen belonging 
to Newhaven, when about five miles from the Bass- 
rock, off the coast of Scotland, observed a Hawk in 
close pursuit of a small bird. Apparently exhausted 
by its numberless sudden turns, spiry circles, and 
various efforts to escape, it was just on the point of 
falling into the claws of its pursuer, when the fish- 
ermen gave a loud shout, by way of frightening 
the Hawk, on which the little bird flew down 
for protection, and perched, quite exhausted, in the 
midst of them. It proved to be a fine lark. The 
Hawk approached within a few yards of the boat, 
and after hovering about for a short time, turned his 
course towards the shore. 
The Glead, or Kite, was a well-known bird, and 
much oftener seen in former days, even in towns, as 
we have shown, than at present, but for some reason 
or other they are getting every year more scarce. 
Still they may now and then be observed soaring in 
wide circles over woods, easily distinguished from 
other birds by their length of wing and forked tails. 
There is a very curious story told by a gentleman, of 
a strange manner in which not less than fifteen were 
caught at the same time : he says he remembers, when 
a boy, that several of them happened to be roosting on 
some lofty elm-trees, in winter, when a fog came on, 
which freezing as it fell, completely glued their feet 
to the boughs; and they were all taken. The truth 
of this extraordinary anecdote has been often ques- 
