The fish shall turn their glistering bellies up,
And thou shalt take thy liberal choice of all.”
THE KITE,
Another of the birds of prey mentioned by Shakespeare is “the lazar Kite” (Henry V. Act ii. Sc. 1). Although a large bird, and called by some the royal Kite (Milvus regalis), it has not the bold dash of many of our smaller hawks in seizing live and strong prey, but glides about ignobly, looking for a sickly or wounded victim, or for offal of any sort.
“And kites
Fly o’er our heads, and downward look on us,
As we were sickly prey.”
Julius Cæsar, Act v. Sc. 1.
“Ere this
I should have fatted all the region kites