A NESTING KITE.
It may serve a purpose to report a county tragedy that was presented to me during the week. I had heard that a kite, that very rare and splendid hawk, was nesting in a wild and lovely corner of Britain. Some of us made a special expedition to see the bird, and have ocular evidence of its permanent residence. The place looked not less suitable for the bird, once frequent enough to give its name to local places and houses, than the rocky slopes of Majorca, where it is a common feature of the landscape. As we neared the secret place we met a watcher who had hoped to preserve the nest. " The kite," he said, " is in a glass case." The hen bird had been shot in the nest, and the male bird had vanished. There was reason to believe that the perpetrators had little idea that they were destroying a rare bird ; but I do not know that their ignorance is any apology. The way to avoid killing a rare bird is not to kill any bird of whose identity and habits you have not certain and particular knowledge. I knew of one keeper who shot nightjars at sight, thinking them dan- gerous hawks. He was distressed at his act when his know- ledge increased ; but the only right attitude for any keeper is to regard all birds and beasts as beneficial till he knows to
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