66 
B I R D S. 
SPECIES VI. The Kite. Plate A2. 
[Clafs II. 
The Kite, or Glead. Wil. orn. 74. 
Rati fyn. av. 17. 
Milvus regalis. Brijfon av. I. 414. 
Tab. 33. 
T H E kite generally breeds in large fo- 
refts, or wooded mountanous countries : 
it lays two, or at moft three eggs; 
which, like thofe of all other birds of prey, are 
much rounded, and very blunt at the (mailer end ; 
they are white of color, and fpotted with a dirty 
yellow: its motion in the air diftinguifhes it from all 
other birds; being fo finooth and even, as to be 
fcarce perceptible ; fometimes it will remain quite 
motionlefs for a confiderable fpace; at others glides 
thro’ the Iky, without the left apparent a&ion of 
its wings : from thence is derived the old name of 
Glead, or Glede, from the Saxon Glida. Lord 
Bacon obferves, that when kites fly high, it por¬ 
tends fair and dry weather. Some have fuppofed 
thefe to be birds of paffage ; but in England they 
certainly continue the whole year. 
The tail of this kind is fufficient to diftinguifh 
it from all other Britijh birds of prey, being fork¬ 
ed. Pliny thinks that the invention of the rud¬ 
der arofe from the obfervation men made or the 
various motions of that part, when the kite was 
Falco milvus. Lin. fyft . 89. 
Milvus. Plinii Lib . 10. c. 10. 
Gefner av. 610. 
fleering through the air*j*. Certain it is that the 
moft ufeful arts were originally copied from ani¬ 
mals ; however we may now have improved upon 
them. Still in thofe nations which are in a ftate of 
nature,fitch as the Samoieds and Efquimaux ; their 
dwellings are inferior to thofe of the beavers, 
which thofe fcarce human beings but poorly copy. 
This bird is fa faithfully reprefented in the 
plate, that we fhall not tire the reader’s patience 
with any farther defcription of it than what re¬ 
lates to the weight and meafurements* : The firft 
is about forty-four ounces : the length twenty- 
feven inches : the breadth five feet one inch. In 
the progrefs of this work, which has little more 
merit than what is derived from the artifts fkill 5 
we fhall avoid giving a minute defcription of the 
fubjedfs figured, except in the few cafes where the 
artifts have been lefs happy in their reprefenta- 
tions; or elfe to fupply the want of a plate, when 
the latter was thought unneceffary. 
plidem videntur artem gubernandi docuiflb caudse flexibus. Lib .i o. c. 10, 
* In weighing our fubjecfs, we make ufe of avoirdupoife weight. 
The length of the bird is taken from the tip of the bill to the end of 
the tail: the breadth fignifies the fpace from tip to tip of the wings in 
their full extent. 
SPECIES VII. The Common Buzzard. Plate A. 3. 
The common Buzzard, or Puttock. 
Wil. orn . 70. 
Raii fyn. av. 16. 
/r —I S bird is the commoneft of the 
hawk kind we have m England. It 
§ breeds in large woods, and ufually 
builds on an old crow’s neft, which it enlarges and 
lines with wool, and other foft materials : it lays 
two or three eggs, which are fometimes wholly 
white} fometimes fpotted with yellow. The 
cock buzzard will hatch and bring up their young. 
Falco buteo. Lin. fyft. 90. 
Brijfon av. I. 406. 
Gefner av. 46. 
if the hen is killed *. The young confort with 
the old ones for fome little time after they quit 
the neft $ which is not ufual with birds of prey, 
who always drive away their brood as foon as 
they can fly. This fpecies is very fluggifh, and 
inactive ; and is much lefs in motion than other 
hawks, remaining perched on the fame bough for 
the moft part of the day, and is found at moft 
* Rays Letters 352. 
times 
