FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 



149 



Nest. — Generally in live oaks, made of twigs, lined with stubble and 

 grasses. Eggs : o to 5, ground color white, heavily marked over entire 

 surface witli blotches of red and brown. 



Food. — Small snakes, lizards, frogs, and insects such as grasshoppers 

 and beetles. 



The white -tailed kites frequent lowland valleys, breeding when 

 possible near streams or marshes, where they hide their nests in the 

 tops of oaks or willows. 



Their flight, Mr. Chester Barlow says, is graceful and often quite 

 rapid, though it lacks the dash of the falcons. When hunting early 

 in the morning, both birds often go together, wiien they may be 

 seen hovering motionless in the air like sparrow hawks. Their 

 principal call-note Mr. Barlow gives as a plaintive musical whistle. 



The kites are resident in the oak groves of Santa Clara Valley, and 

 frequent the marshes about San Francisco Bay, where Mr. W. K. 

 Fisher has found them catching large numbers of the California 

 meadow mouse. 



GENUS ICTINIA. 



329. Ictinia raississippiensis (IFiVs.). Mississippi Kitk. 



Bill small but robust, cutting edge of upper mandible scalloped ; wings 

 and tail moderate, two outer primaries 

 emarginate on inner web, and next two 

 sinuate ; feet short and stout ; tarsus scan- 

 tily feathered about half way down in 

 front, then crossed by large scales ; outer 

 and middle toes connected by web for whole 

 length of basal joint of middle toe ; claws 

 stout, much curved. Adults : head and 

 band across wing grayish white ; under 

 parts dark gray ; up})er parts bluish slate, irith 

 black tail and long black wing quills : quills 

 with dull reddish brown webbing. Young : 

 head streaked black and white, whiter 

 on throat ; under parts whiti.sh, heavily 

 streaked with dark brown and huffy ; upper 

 parts blackish, feathers with convex edges 

 brown, giay. or white; tail and wing quills 

 bla<"k tipped with wliite, and without rufous 

 webbing. Lnigth : KlOO-irj.rjU, wing 10.00- 

 1 !'.:;( ), tail (J-T. 



Distribution. — Breeds chiefly in Lower 

 Sonoran zone of the southeastern United 

 States, westward to we.stern Texas, south 



From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. 

 of Affricultu're. 



Fig. 221. 



t(» (Juat»'niala ; ciisually in Upper Sonoran zone to Pennsylrania, Wiscon- 

 sin, and Dakota. 



Nest. — I 'sually an old one of its own or some other bird, in a high tree- 

 top ; remodeled by patching up the sides with a few sticks and lining 

 witli Spanish mo.ss or green leaves. Eggs: 2 or 3, pale bluish green, 

 unsjjotted. 



Food. — Lizards, small 8nakp.«4. and frogs, together with insects, such as 

 the larger beetles, gra.sshoppers, and locusts. 



