66 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



of timber conditions, and then build their nest in the highest tree 

 available. If their nest is robbed they will lay a second set, either 

 in the old nest or a new one, about two weeks later. 



Eggs. — The Mississippi kite lays only one or two eggs, rarely 

 three, with some variation in different parts of its range. Mr. 

 Ganier tells me that in Mississippi he has found two eggs or two 

 young in only two out of some 13 or more cases ; all the other nests 

 contained only one o^gg or young. Mr. Stevens, referring to Okla- 

 homa, says in his notes, "one occasionally, two usually, and three 

 very rarely"; in some 500 nests examined during seven years, he 

 has found only three sets of three. Of 40 nests under observation by 

 Dr. George M. Sutton, 38 held two eggs and two held one egg each. 

 Most of the sets in collections consist of two eggs, but there are very 

 few sets of three. The eggs vary in shape from ovate to rounded- 

 ovate or nearly oval. The shell is smooth but without gloss when 

 fresh. The color is Avliite or pale bluish white. They are normally 

 unmarked and are often more or less nest stained, and some may 

 appear to be faintly spotted, but such markings are, I believe, wholly 

 adventitious ; true pigment markings must be exceedingly rare. The 

 measurements of 50 eggs average 41.3 by 34 millimeters; the eggs 

 showing the four extremes measure 45.7 by 35.2, 44.5 by 36.5, 37.7 by 

 33.8, and 41 by 31.2 millimeters. 



Young. — Dr. George M. Sutton writes to me that "the period of 

 incubation is 31 or 32 days. An egg laid on May 18 hatched June 

 18. * * * In an attitude of repose the young bird rests on the 

 outer part of its feet only. The cry is a thin, feeble squeal, a hair- 

 thin sound." Both sexes assist in incubation and in the care of the 

 young. Mr. Ganier (1902) writes: 



The nest could plainly be seen from sevei'al points and I soon made out the 

 form of a young bird, on the edge of it, looking out among the trees and, 

 occasionally spreading its wings as though impatient to be free. 



While still looking, a shadow glided through the trees and an old bird lit on 

 the edge of the nest with something in her beak ; slowly the young bird turned 

 around to receive its food and then assumed its old position. The parent bird 

 lingered but a minute, then glided away as silently as she had come. 



I sat on a log and watched them for an hour, the parent birds taking turns 

 at feeding the young one, whose restless wings seemed to trouble him much 

 more than his appetite. 



Plumages. — I have seen no very small j'oung of this kite, but Dr. 

 Sutton describes it for me as follows : "The natal down is pure white, 

 with a small faint spot of buffy brown on the nape and a wash of the 

 same pale brown over the back and upper surface of the wings. The 

 area in front of and about the eyes is dull gray, the marking occupy- 

 ing almost precisely the same position as the black facial marking 

 of the adult. Bill dull blue-gray. Cere dull brownish orange. 



