Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/95

 remarks, however, what we should hardly have expected, that "these birds are so common as to need no particular description." But when the country was more richly wooded, and less populous than at present, it was much better circumstanced for the kite. With the exception of its being stated to have been seen by the Eev. Joseph Stopford, near Blarney, and at Ballincollig Castle, in 1827,* it is now unknown, not only in the county of Cork, but in the whole south of Ireland. A native bird, either in a wild state, or preserved in a collection, has not come either under my own cognizance, or that of any of my ornithological correspondents; but I have no doubt of the species having been seen in the follow- ing instances, as communicated to the Annals of Natural History, in April, 1838. Mr. Adams, the intelligent gamekeeper at Shane's Castle (the seat of Earl O'Neil, on the borders of Lough Neagh), informed me, that "in cold weather," about eight years before that period, he had seen a kite on two or three occasions, hovering over Glenarm Park (Antrim) ; and that in March, 1835, his attention was called to a strange bird, which appeared for three successive days in Shane's Castle park, that proved to be of this species. In both instances, the forked tail served for specific distinction : — neither bird was obtained. My informant knew the species well, from having taken it frequently in Northamptonshire: he described it accurately to me. I had before heard from an old gamekeeper, who had hived for many years at Shane's Castle, of a few kites "with tails forked like swallows" having been killed there My friend, William Ogilby, Esq., in one instance, many years ago, saw this species in the county of Londonderry.

Mr. Richard Langtry, when at Loch Awe in Argyleshire, early in the summer of 1833, procured from the nest two young kites, which proved a highly interesting addition to Ms aviary. They at once became very tame and familiar, and were so gentle in dis- position as to be most engaging. Every morning they had their liberty, and never flew far away, but soaring to a great height in the air, "in still repeated circles," displayed their peculiar and graceful flight. To either lure or "fist " they always returned

Communicated by that gentleman to Dr. Harvey of Cork.