BIIiDS OF KANSAS. 253 



changina: gradually to ocliraeeoiis on outer feathers; ear coverts uniform rich 

 dark brown; feathers of 'facial disk' dark brown, broadly edged with rufous; 

 lower parts rich rusty ochraceous, growing gradually paler posteriorly, the 

 breast and sides narrowly and (usually) indistinctly streaked with darker, but 

 elsewhere immaculate. Doiony young: Entirely pale cinnamon buflfy, tinged 

 with grayish on back, and becoming almost white on lower parts, {Bidgway.) 



Stretch of 

 Length. -wing. IVing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. Cere. 



Male 18.00 41.50 13.25 8.90 2.90 .65 .80 



Female... 21.00 45.50 15.00 10.25 3.00 .70 .30 



Iris brown; bill horn blue, light at base; cere greenish yellow; 

 legs and feet yellow; claws black. 



This widely-distributed species (a sort of connecting link be- 

 tween the Hawks and Owls) has been found breeding as far 

 north as Hudson's Bay and Alaska, and they no doubt occa- 

 sionally breed northward within their range. I have found 

 them breeding in Lower California, but south of the United 

 States and northern Mexico they are not common, and as a rule 

 only winter sojourners. The birds frequent the low lands and 

 marshes, not from choice, I imagine, but because the food they 

 seek is the most abundant there; for they appear alike at home 

 upon the plains, in localities where the lizards and small rodents 

 abound. 



. Its flight is low and not swift, but very light and buoyant, 

 flapping and sailing as it courses over the ground, often hover- 

 ing with vibrating wings as it catches sight of some unlucky 

 rodent, lizard, frog or bird in the grass beneath; never giving 

 chase, but dropping upon its prey, and eating it where caught, 

 unless in a very exposed situation, when it flies to a more se- 

 cluded place upon the ground. The birds often alight upon a 

 fence post, but seldom in trees, but I never saw one attempt to 

 feed upon its prey from a perch. In food habits they are not 

 particular; a sort of scavenger, that readily feeds upon the car- 

 cass of a bird or fish — in fact, nothing seems to come amiss. 



These birds as a whole are very beneficial, though occasion- 

 ally killing a stray chicken, but seldom venturing within the 

 door yard; and they have not the courage to tackle a full grown 

 fowl — at least I have never known them to do so, and I have 

 often seen a hen drive them away from her chicks. 



