The Hijlory of ANIMALS. 333 
The bufinefs of flying feems in greater perfection in this bird than in any other 5 it 
has a way of lying up on the air with it’s wings expanded, and unmoved for a long 
time together; and, when it changes place, oftener does it by a kind of Aiding, than 
by the vibration of wings, praCtifed by other birds. The tail is the great inftrument 
of direction to this bird, while it’s wings lie expanded : we often fee this moved, while 
they are perfectly at reft ; and Pliny delivers it as the opinion of the antients, that the 
ufe of the rudder in fhips was found out, by means of the ufe this bird was obferved 
to make of it’s tail. 
The kite ufes it’s power of flying to a very proper purpofe; it traverfes whole feas, 
and, though ufually feen Angle with us, is, in fome places, and on certain occafions, feen 
in flights like thofe of fwallows. Bellonius, from his own obfervation, mentions flights 
fo large on the hills, about the fhores of the Euxine, in April, that people were af- 
tonifhed to conceive how or where it was poflible they fhould find food, There are 
many parts of Europe in which the kite is a bird of paflage, but they breed and ftay 
all the year with us. 
It is a general opinion that the kite will feed only on flelh ; but Bellonius afierts, 
that he has feen them in /Egypt fettle on the palm-trees, and feed voracioufly on the 
dates: but, though this be a faCt, there is reafon to believe that hunger, and an ab- 
fence of all other provifion, could only be the caufe of it. It’s moft favourite food 
feems to be the young of domeftic fowls, chickens, turkies, and geefe. It has d 
furprifingly piercing eye, and, when it feems diverting itfelf in the air with it’s indolent 
wavings, it generally has it’s looks about, from that height, on fome brood of one or 
other of thefe fowls: it does not chufe to fall upon them while together, or under the 
protection of the parent, but will be whole hours upon the watch to fee one draggling 
from the reft, and, when that happens, it is down in an inftant, and carries off the 
prey. The parent animals underftand the bufinefs of it’s hovering, though at fo vaft 
a diftance in the air, and make fignals to their young, whenever they fee it. 
All the writers on birds have mentioned this fpecies, and all under the fame fimple 
name Milvus. The Swedes call it Glada 5 and we* the Kite ; and, in fome places, the 
dead. 
,Valeo pedibus flavis , corpore cinereo , maculis fufeis , 
cauda fafcits quatuor. 
The yellow-legged Falco , with a grey body fpotted with 
brown , and with four fafeice on the tail. 
This is a very beautiful bird; it is of the fize of a raven, or fomewhat larger : the 
head is fmall, and fomewhat flatted on the crown j the beak is broad, ftrong, and 
hooked, but not very long 5 the membrane on it’s bafe is of a fine bHght yellow, 
and the noftrils are very confpicuous in it: the eyes are large, and very bright and 
piercing j their iris is yellow. 
The upper part of the head is of pale filvery grey, with a few fmall, brownifh 
fpots on it: the greater part of the body is grey, and has alfo feveral fpots of brown 
on it; thefe are much larger than thofe of the head, and are of an irregular figure * 
the tail is grey, and has four brown fafeias on it: the under feathers of the head are 
black, and their edges are ferrugineous: the head, the neck, and the upper part of 
the wings are brown, but the tips of the feathers are ferrugineous : the breaft and 
belly are of a yellowifh hue, but there are a few oblong, brown fpots under the 
throat, as alfo on the breaft and belly j and there are fome of the fame kind on the 
thighs, only they are narrower. 
The long feathers of the wings are brown on the outer fide or edge, and white bn 
the inner, but they have fome whitifh or greyifh fpots, and four or five brown, tranf- 
verfe lines: the tail-feathers are all brown, both on the upper and under fides, and 
they have each five or fix broad and black fafeige on them j the fmaller feathers which 
a Q cover 
30)e gentle 
jfaicon. 
