. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. Birds; Reptiles. 62-1 EAPTOEES, OB, BIRDS OF PEBY. brother, it often ventures to attack Kites and Buzzards, and, by its agility, harasses them with impunity. The Chanting Falcon {Melierasc musicus), -which is about the size of the Goshawk, sings in the yicinity of the female during the season of incubation. It is the only musician among birds of the Rapacious order, and therefore has claim to honourable mention. Both the Goshawks and the Sparrow-hawks were employ
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. Birds; Reptiles. 62-1 EAPTOEES, OB, BIRDS OF PEBY. brother, it often ventures to attack Kites and Buzzards, and, by its agility, harasses them with impunity. The Chanting Falcon {Melierasc musicus), -which is about the size of the Goshawk, sings in the yicinity of the female during the season of incubation. It is the only musician among birds of the Rapacious order, and therefore has claim to honourable mention. Both the Goshawks and the Sparrow-hawks were employed in hawking in days of old, but their relative value was much inferior to that of the Falcon. The birds which belong to the Kite genus (Milmis) are charac- terised as follows :—Beak curved from the base, and not toothed ; tarsi short, slender, and feathered on the upper part; wings very long; tail long, and more or less forked; colour generally brown. Several species are known, but their characteristics are identical. The Kite (Milvus recalls), Fig. 297, thus named on account of affording amusement for princes, who hunted it with the Falcon, and even the Sparrow-hawk, measures two feet in height, the spread of its wings being not less than five feet. Of all the Falcon tribe this bird is gifted with the most graceful, rapid, and sustained powers of flight. It is so incessantly on the wing, that it appears scarcely to require rest. Love for soaring through space must be the cause of this activity, as it never pursues its prey, but descends upon it from the pro- digious heights at which it may be hovering with incredible velocity, and seizing it in its claws, bears it to some adjacent tree to be devoured. Its food consists of leverets, moles, rats, field-mice, reptiles, and fish'—the latter it catches on the surface of the water. It builds its nest on lofty trees, rarely on rocks. It is a constant resident in some parts of France, and is met with in nearly all countries of E
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecad, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectreptiles
