Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/69

Rh The kite is, by its forked tail, easily distinguished from the. The former is about two feet in length; but, with expanded wings, it measures upwards of five feet. The female deposits two or three whitish eggs, spotted with pale yellow; and, contrary to the nature of rapacious birds in general, the kite is said to breed twice in the year. Although the flight of this depredator is rapid, often soaring in the clouds, so as to become invisible, yet at such a distance he distinctly perceives his food, and descends upon his prey with irresistible force. Great damage is frequently occasioned in farm-yards, among chickens and other young poultry, by the voracious kite; though the enraged hen will sometimes intimidate and expel him.—We are not acquainted with a better method of exterminating this biped, than by means of the gun and powder.  KITE,, well-known machine, which was originally contrived to serve as a toy for children, but which has lately been applied to the more useful purpose of conducting the electric matter of the atmosphere from the clouds.

Different kites have been constructed by, and other philosophers; and, though such contrivances are not very difficult, yet there are some fixed principles, which ought to be observed in manufacturing electrical kites to a certain degree of perfection. To accomplish this object, we have subjoined the following cut, together with the necessary rules, extracted from a treatise published in German, by the late Professor, of Göttingen.

The body of the kite consists of a long slender lath, a, b, and a wooden bow, d, a, e. The former must be made of slender, dry deal, properly planed, about five feet in length, one inch in breadth, and half an inch thick, so that it may neither be too heavy, nor too light to resist strong gusts of wind.

The bow d, a, e, is formed of a sound hoop, that may be taken from a dry cask; or it may consist of split cane of whalebone, rendered perfectly smooth, and of equal thickness. Particular attention, however, is requisite to adapt it to the proper size; for, if too weak, it will not be sufficiently elastic to expand the cord c, c. The dimensions of the bow must likewise be carefully adjusted to those of the lath a, b; and as the ufility of the machine in a great measure depends on the accuracy of such proportions, we shall briefly state the rules by which they may be easily ascertained.

The two ends of the bow are