BIRDS OF NEW YORK 67 



and extremely short tarsus, shorter than the tibia, with reticulate scales; 

 the wings very long, narrow and pointed; the legs unusually small; and 

 the general build very light. They have no ruff like the harriers and the 

 plumage is not so soft and owl-like. 



The subfamily Accipitrinae, or " true hawks," like our Cooper and 

 Sharp-shinned hawks, has a stronger beak, with a prominent festoon on 

 the cutting edge; the tarsus is slender and as long as the tibia; wings short, 

 rounded, concavo-convex, with 3 to 5 of the quills emarginate; the tail 

 is long; legs long and slim; and the general build light as compared with 

 the buzzard. Difference in size of sexes is especially marked in this sub- 

 family. The young are characteristically mottled and streaked longi- 

 tudinally, whereas the adults are barred and heart-spotted in their marking. 

 They are arboreal in habits, usually lie in wait for their prey and swoop 

 upon it with a swift, dashing flight. The flight is low as compared with 

 the buzzard, and not so free and easy as that of the Marsh hawk. 



Elanoides forficatus (Linnaetts) 



Swallow-tailed Kite 



Falco forficatus Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. 1758. 1 : 89 

 Nauclerus furcatus DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 12, fig. 15 

 Elanoides forficatus A. 0. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 153. No. 327 

 elanoides, from Lat. claims, a kite; forficatus, from Lat. forfcx, a pair of shears, 

 referring to the forked tail 



Description. Wings very long, thin and pointed; tail also very long 

 and deeply forked; feet stout "but very short, the tarsus feathered halfway 

 in front ; "talons short, well curved, scooped out and sharp edged on the 

 under surface; bill weak; cere small. Adult: Head, neck, rump and entire 

 underparts white; wings, back and tail lustrous black. Young: Less lus- 

 trous; wings and tail feathers tipped with white, the head and neck with 

 black shaft streaks; tail shorter. 



Length 24 inches, more or less according to the development of the 

 outer tail feathers; extent 50; wing 15-17.50; tail 13-14.50; tarsus 1.25. 



Distribution. The Swallow-tailed kite, or Snake hawk as it is often 

 called, inhabits America from the warm portions of South America north- 

 ward to Manitoba and Assiniboia, wintering from Florida and Texas south- 



