Our Birds of Prey. 137 
the umbrella or cushie ants, the large bodied moths, 
cicadas, grasshoppers, locusts, and the grubs of various 
species of Hymenoptera, evidently taken from the rav- 
aged nests, make up, with seeds of the various bird-vines 
(Loranthus) and other plants, the food contents found 
at various times in these hawks. 
Much less common than the preceding, and much more 
difficult to obtain on account of its rapid flight, is the 
grey kite (Elanus leucurus). This species attains 
a length of from 14-15 inches, being of a prevail- 
ing pale blue-grey above, the feathers margined with 
white, paler on the head and darker on the wings, on the 
front of which there is a pronounced wide black patch 
above, and a smaller black patch below. The tail is 
white, except the two central feathers which are grey. 
The front of the head, and the entire under parts of the 
body, are white, though when the birds are young, these 
parts are more or less touched with reddish-brown. The 
upper surfaces too in these younger birds are mixed with 
brown. The legs are small and rather slender, but the 
talons are long, strongly curved and very sharp ; 
while the curved point of the bill is very sharp and 
fine. This bird is not very often seen, apparently 
frequenting the tops of the trees in the forest and in the 
hilly districts, and becoming very shy of one's approach. 
From the length and strength of its pointed wings and 
tail, it cleaves the air with more rapid flight than is 
noticed in any other of our hawks, and on this account 
and owing to its fierceness, it is said here by the old 
huntsmen, to be more dreaded by other birds, especially 
by the pigeons, than any other. From this it is 
known by the common name of " hawk bass" (i.e. master) ; 
R 
