Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/276

250 forming a kind of zone in the middle part of the same egg. It bears some resemblance to the egg figured as No. 2 on the plate v. of Seebohm's work, but would resemble still more that of the Common Bunting, and appears to be a rare variety. Colonel Irby mentions the great variety of colour noticed in the eggs of the Black Kite, and Seebohm has described several of them.

The following are the dimensions of the eggs which I have preserved: —

The females only incubate, and that for a period of from eighteen to twenty days. The male does not share the duty of incubation, but flies continually round his mate at a very great pace, and, unless disturbed, he continues to wheel gently around the eyrie. If he is aware of anyone's presence, he rises high in the air, flying round in wide circles, as though desirous of touching the tops of the highest trees, but always keeps out of shot, and, if shot at, he rises still higher; if he is left alone, he slowly descends again. The inhabitants of the castle say that if they gently strike the tree in which a female Black Kite is sitting, the bird at once flies away. I could never observe this fact, and the birds which I killed were males.

It is difficult to reach the nest, which is always situated at a great height, involving a perilous climb. The Black Kite exhibits great affection for its young, which are fed by both the male and female parents. Young chickens are their favourite food, being plentiful in the country. Like other birds of prey (Circus æruginosus, C. cyaneus, Buteo vulgaris, &c.), the Black Kite feeds its young at more or less regular hours; that is, according to what the Rev. Carcereri says, in the morning from about 9 to 11 a.m., and in the evening one or two hours before sunset. I have commonly observed this fact with C. æruginosus, which also feeds its young ones with chickens, and which breeds regularly in the marshes of Monselice. Its hours for feeding were about eight in the morning, and three in the afternoon. This may be explained by the fact that it cannot always get hold of chickens without being exposed to danger, and it must generally