Part 29

This species is, however, extremely variable in colour and markings. Length of male 13 in.; wing 7·7 in. Female 15·4 in.; wing 9 in.

THE KITE Milvus ictinus, Savigny

Although once so abundant that it used, some two or three centuries ago, to feed on offal in the London streets, the remnant of our indigenous Kites are now reduced to some dozen individuals in the more remote parts of Wales. The gamekeeper, the egg-collector, and even the salmon-angler have all combined to destroy this noble species, and even now, when it is far too scarce to do any harm, a vandal has recently shot one of the remnant, and owing to a fault in the administration of the law has got off scot free. It will not be until we have public opinion aroused sufficiently to protect our natural beauties that this ruthless extermination of any rare bird will be stopped. Certain species, e.g. Robin, Thrush, Nightingale, House Martin, etc., are so well protected by that opinion as to become almost too numerous in certain places. The shooting of many of our rarer wanderers can do no great harm if the lust for killing rare birds must be indulged in, but our rare resident or breeding migrants should never be destroyed. We cannot replace what is thus killed, and these living bits of Nature form a heritage left us by former generations, which it becomes our duty to hand on to the future. For even in the immediate present the delight of seeing the living bird in its native haunts is not confined to ornithologists, but thousands, rich and poor, appreciate intensely the sight of one of our larger and rarer species, amidst its natural surroundings; and no censure can be too strong for the man who wilfully destroys that creature for his own selfish ends, whether for the sake of having its stuffed effigy in a glass case, or that he may bag a larger number of pheasants in due season. It is a crime as great or greater than the stealing of art treasures from our National Gallery.

The wide circling flight of the Kite is a magnificent sight, as it daily covers large tracts of country in search of its food. Offal and carrion are, or should be, the chief diet of this species, but in this country it chiefly subsists on small mammals and birds, becoming, at the nesting time, very bold and taking toll from the poultry-yard and game coverts.

The Kite was formerly common throughout England and by no means rare in Scotland, but for many years past it has been restricted to certain places, in almost all of which it is now extinct. It is only a very occasional wanderer to Ireland.

The nest is placed in a tall tree and composed of sticks, with a lining of any rubbish that can be found. The eggs, three in number, often only two, are pale blue, spotted and streaked with reddish.

The adult is brown on the back and chestnut below, with darker stripes. Tail rufous and much forked. Head and neck whitish, with darker stripes. Length 25 in.; wing 20 in.

THE BLACK KITE Milvus migrans (Boddaert)

This species, although a regular summer visitor to the valley of the Rhine and Moselle, has only once found its way to our shores. Its home is throughout Central and Southern Europe, migrating southwards from the more northerly portions of its range in winter.

The head and throat are whitish, streaked with dark brown; rest of the plumage brown, more rufous on the breast. The female is rather darker on the head. Length 24 in.; wing 18 in.

THE HONEY BUZZARD Pernis apivorus (Linnæus)

This migratory species, which is widely distributed throughout most of the wooded districts of Europe, visits us annually on both its spring and autumn migrations, and a few pairs generally attempt to nest in suitable localities. The greed of the egg-collector has sadly diminished the number of these summer residents, though with adequate protection moderate numbers might again be induced to spend the summer months in these islands.

The adult has the head greyish; upper parts brown; under parts white, barred and spotted on the breast. Length about 23 in.; wing 17 in.

THE GREENLAND FALCON Falco candicans, J. F. Gmelin

This species breeds in the Far North, in Greenland, Jan Mayen, and Novaya Zemlya, migrating southwards in winter. A good many examples have from time to time been taken in Great Britain, chiefly, as would be expected, in Scotland and Ireland.

The adult is white, streaked on the upper parts with black, and sometimes slightly spotted below. Young birds are much more heavily marked. Length 21 in.; wing 14·5 in. The female is slightly larger.

This Falcon may be distinguished in all ages by the prevailing ground colour being white.

THE ICELAND FALCON Falco islandus, J. F. Gmelin

This species is confined to Iceland, though very closely allied forms may be found in South Greenland and Labrador. Its visits to these islands have not been nearly so numerous as those of the former species.

The general colour of the upper parts is brownish grey, becoming greyer with age, with pale buff markings. Under parts whitish, the flanks barred with dark brown. Length of male 21 in.; wing 14·5 in.; the female is rather larger.

THE GYR FALCON Falco gyrfalco, Linnæus

Two examples of this Scandinavian and North Russian species have been obtained in England.

It is very closely allied to the Iceland Falcon, but the head is darker and the under parts are very thickly barred. Length 19·5 in.; wing 14 in.

THE PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus, Tunstall

This noble species, the king of Falcons, is still, we are glad to say, by no means uncommon round our coasts, though as a breeding bird it has been banished from most of its inland eyries. To those who still keep up the ancient sport of hawking, an amusement, which to our minds comes nearer true sport than any of its latter-day substitutes, the Peregrine is the favourite bird, and a grand sight it is to see this beautiful species "ring up" above his prey and "stoop" at him with half-closed wings and unerring aim, when pursuer and pursued come down to ground, the former to earn the reward of his prowess and the latter to a happy despatch.

Agricultural conditions have had much to do with the decline of this sport, an amusement which lacks the one-sidedness of a Pheasant or Partridge drive, and one in which the forces of nature are matched together.

The Peregrine, as its name implies, is a bird of passage, and visits on migration most parts of our islands. In the nesting season at the end of March or early in April it returns to its former eyrie, generally on some overhung ledge of a cliff on which there is a little earth, or more rarely in the old deserted nest of Rook or Crow. It adds no materials but lays its four beautiful yellowish eggs, which are thickly marked with deeper shades of orange and rufous, on the bare ground, or in the nest just as it was found. The young are covered at first with whitish down. Its food, which is always taken on the wing, consists of birds of all kinds, up to the size of a Crow, but Ducks, Sea-fowl, and Pigeons constitute, as a rule, its chief prey.

The young remain near their home for some time, till they are finally driven away by their parents, but the old birds, having once settled on a home, do not as a rule wander very far away from it. In its more northerly breeding haunts, however, both old and young migrate on the approach of winter.