KITE (AS. eyta, kite). A diurnal bird of prey of the subfamily Mil•ime. which contains about thirty species, widely distributed over the world, but most frequent in the tropics. The kites have much weaker hills and talons than the falcons and hawks, but the wings are much longer, and the tail is rather long and usually forked. They are remarkable for their graceful IICSA of flight and power of sailing and wheeling about, or gliding in the air. The .zommon Euro pean kite ( 1/ilrus rulgaris), or 'glede,' is found in almost all parts of Europe. Asia, and the north of Africa. It is fully two feet in length, the plumage mostly brown. mixed with gray. It feeds on reptiles, mice. moles. and other small quadrupeds, and the young of gallinaeeous birds, searching for its prey on the ground. but often from high in the air. It sometinws entehes fish. In former times. when more plentiful, it was the scourge of poultry-yards, pouncing on young ehiekens, and it was highl regarded by falconers, though more recently it has not been used at all in that sport. It was also the seaven ger of London and other English towns, devour ing the offal, as it still does in some of the towns of Eastern Europe, but in England it is now nearly extinct. In India. the `goond.' 'chi];
or 'pariah' kite (ililrus goonda) is one of the recognized and imoortant scavenging birds of the country, and abounds everywhere in the towns. going about tame and unharmed, and often snaking a nuisance of itself by its impudent fa miliarity.
In the United States four birds are called kites. hut they are all Southern, only one of them reaching the Northern States. The Everglades kite ( llosthrntons soriabilis) is found in Florida and far southward; the Mississippi kite (Ictinia occurs as far north as South Carolina and southern Illinois; the white-tailed kite (Elanus leneurits) has about the same range, but extends westward to California; lastly, the swallow-tailed kite (E70noides forlicut as) is found in summer as far north as Mihnesota and Dakota. Thus last species is the largest and finest of the group, measaring four feet or more across the wings; head, neck, and under parts pure white: rest of upper parts, wings, and tail, glossy, lustrous black; tail 14 inches or more in length, forked for seven holies or so. Consult Fisher, Ilnirks and Owls of the United fates (Washington, 1893). See Plate of EAGLES AND E A W KS.