Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/275

Rh resists the penetration of a fowling-piece. The Rev. Carcereri, desiring to kill some nestling Black Kites, was compelled to employ the Weterli carabine with a bullet to pierce the hardened layer. The nest is generally shallow, and sometimes lined with dead moss. Mr. Seebohm observes that the fact of rags being found in the nest of the Black Kite has been declared to be an error; but he adds that the circumstance has been verified by Salvin in the Eastern Atlas. "He also states," adds Seebohm, "that its nest is usually built amongst the roots of a tree growing out of the rocks." In Italy, it has only been observed on lofty trees. When the nest is built, the female Black Kite lays her eggs, usually three, but sometimes even four in number, in the space of four or five days. Seebohm says that in Pomerania the eggs are usually two in number, and so does Irby of Spain; while Goebel, referring to the South of Russia, says that the eggs are three in number, though he adds they may accidentally be two, or even four in number; once only he observed five in a clutch. The eggs of the Black Kite are about the size of a medium hen's egg, usually but not invariably of a dirty white, with larger or smaller spots or brown spots of various tints. I here supply some information about four eggs of the Black Kite which form part of my collection.

Egg found on May 25th, 1891, at Grezzano.—This specimen is almost entirely of a dirty white, with a few spots of light brown, most numerous at the larger end; the smaller end is colourless. Another egg found on the same day.—It is almost entirely of a dirty white, with fine brownish spots widely dispersed as if sprinkled over all the surface, and so delicate that the egg, viewed at a little distance, appears to be colourless.

Egg found in June, 1892, at the same place.—This specimen is pure white, with large dots of a lively brown tint, darker round the edge of the dots, which are most numerous at the larger end; there are also many little spots of the same colour spread here and there. This egg approaches the one figured by Seebohm on plate v., fig. 1, of his above-mentioned work.

Egg found in June, 1893, at the same place.—The ground tint is of a less pure white, spread with little brown spots of dull brown, and there are some larger spots of the same colour,