MISSISSIPPI KITE 63 



11, 1890; Kidgway reported a pair seen at Mount Carniel, 111., durin<2: 

 the summer of 1863 or 1864; one was said to have been taken near 

 Ann Arbor, Mich., in September 1878, and one in Livingston County 

 on April 21, 1879 (Barrows, 1912) ; while it also has been reported 

 from northern California, as a specimen was obtained about August 

 6, 1924, at Miranda, and there is also a record from Red Bluff (C. 

 H. ToAvnsend, 1887). 



Egg dates. — California to Texas: 120 records, February 12 to 

 June 21 ; 60 records, April 2 to 29. 



ICTINIA MISISIPPIENSIS (Wilson) 



MISSISSIPPI KITE 



HABITS 



As I have never seen this kite in life, I shall have to rely wholly 

 on the observations of others. It is a bird of the Lower Austral 

 Zone, being seen chiefly in the Southern States from South Caro- 

 lina and northern Florida to Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Walter 

 Colvin writes to me that he found this kite quite common in Barber 

 County, Kans. "A bend of the Medicine Lodge River, where the 

 timber consisted of elm, cottonwood, walnut, white locust, black 

 locust, redwood, mulberry, boxelder, and cedar, which grew 

 in parklike fashion, seemed to be a favorable location. Here more 

 than a dozen kites were seen in the air at once." 



Although rather widely distributed within the region outlined 

 above, it seems to be localized in breeding communities, rather thickly 

 populated, and to be entirely absent from apparently similar inter- 

 vening territory. It also seems to gather in very large numbers, at 

 other times, on particularly favorable feeding grounds. 



Spring. — The Mississippi kite is a summer resident in the United 

 States, arriving from the south in March or April. Dr. Frank M. 

 Chapman (1891) witnessed a heavy migration near Corpus Christi, 

 Tex,, of which he writes : "This species was first observed April 24, 

 when nine individuals were seen flying northward. The following 

 day we crossed a great flight of these birds. They could be seen to 

 the limit of vision both to the north and south, and about twenty- 

 five were in sight at one time. They flew northward at varying 

 heights; some were within gunshot, while others were so far above 

 the earth that they looked no larger than swallows." 



Audubon (1840), in his usual flowery style, describes the coming 

 of spring in southern Louisiana, where he says that this kite arrives 

 "about the middle of April, in small parties of five or six, and con- 

 fines itself to the borders of deep woods, or to those near plantations, 

 not far from the shores of rivers, lakes, or bayous. It never moves 



