The Sparrow-hawk (Accipiter fringillarius of some authors) will become gentle and tame in captivity. Dr. Franklin mentions an instance of one of these birds, belonging to a friend of his, which lived with two Pigeons. This bird had succeeded in gaining the affection of all who knew it, and was, it is said, as playful as a cat.
Africa possesses two species of Sparrow-hawk: the Dwarf Sparrow-hawk (A. minullus), which does not exceed the Blackbird in size. As intrepid, although not so strong, as its European brother, it often ventures to attack Kites and Buzzards, and, by its agility, harasses them with impunity. The Chanting Falcon (Melierax musicus), which is about the size of the Goshawk, sings in the vicinity 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.
Fig. 297.—The Kite (Milvus regalis).
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 (Milvus) are characterised 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 regalis), [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 prodigious 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 Europe.
The Black Kite (Milvus niger) is very common in Russia, and has a particular penchant for fish. It is not, however, above assisting Vultures in devouring carrion, and may be seen hovering over the city of Moscow to pick up the fragments which are thrown into the streets. In autumn these Kites assemble in flocks, and, crossing the Black Sea, proceed to winter in Egypt, where they are so tame that they perch on the windows of the houses. In the spring they return to Europe.
The Parasite Kite (Milvus ægyptius) is thus named by Levaillant because his whole system of life seems to be at the expense of man, either by devastating his poultry-yards or robbing with extraordinary impudence travellers encamping in the open air. This celebrated naturalist relates that whenever he made a halt, some of these birds came and perched on his waggons for the purpose of stealing.
"At Cairo," says Dr. Petit, in the account of his travels in Abyssinia, "I one day saw a Kite snatch suddenly from the hands of an Arab woman a piece of bread and cheese, at the very moment she was raising it to her mouth. At Chizé, in Abyssinia, another Kite carried away, from under the very nose of my dog, which was guarding it, a portion of a sheep just killed. The same thing took place several times in view of my servants."