FALCONIDjE — MIL VINJE : KITES. 



653 



younger the bird the heavier the coloration, which is sometimes quite blackish and reddish, 

 excepting the white upper tail-coverts. Nestlings are covered with tawny or buff down, paler 

 or whitish below, overcast with gray above. ^ 9 • I^'S, tarsi, and toes bright yellow ; cere 

 yellow or yellowish; bill blackish; claws black. ^ : Length 17.50-19.00: extent 40.00- 

 44.00; wing 13.00-14.00; tail 9.00-10.00; tarsus .3.00 or less ; middle toe without claw 1.20. 

 9: Length 19.00-21.50; extent 45.00-50.00; wing 14.00-1(3.00; tail 9.50-10.50 ; tarsus 3.00 

 or more; middle toe without claw 1.40. N. Am. at large, S. to Panama and Cuba, one of the 

 most abundant and widely-diti'used of its family, especially in meadowy and marshy places, 

 and easily recognized ])y its generic characters, in all its variation of size and color; resident S. 

 frnm about 40°; breeds throughout range. The nest is placed upon the ground, and rather 

 neatly built of hay, a foot in diameter, 3 inches high ; eggs 2-9, commonly 4-6, broad and 

 nearly equal-ended, or quite ovate, averaging 1.80 X 1.40, with moderate variability either 

 way, dull white, with more or less greenish or bluish shade; no decided markings, but fre- 

 quently small spots and large blotches of very pale brownish on the surface, and some neutral- 

 tint shell-spots ; they are laid from April to June, but mostly in May. Commonly regarded 

 as a subspecies of C. cyaneus of Europe; averaging a little larger; old ^ retaining a few 

 rufous spots in white of under parts, and more evident barring of wings and tail. (C cyaneus 

 hudsonius of former eds. of the Key.) 



Subfamily MILVIN/E: Kites. 



No ruff or ear-conch. Lo- 

 ral bristles moderate, scanty or 

 ([uite wanting, the head being 

 then closely and softly feathered e 

 to the bill. Superciliary shield .^^ 

 evident or not. Bill usually r 

 weak, sometimes extremely ^_ 

 slender; cutting edge of upper S; 

 mandible straight to the curve, ^' 

 or lobed or festooned, but not £: 

 todthed, nor under mandible Ej 

 truncate and notched. Nostrils y±. 

 not circular, nor with central ^ 

 bony tubercle. Wings very ^ 

 li "Ug, more or less narrowed and ^ 

 l)ointed, with several (in our "^ 

 genera 2 to 5) primaries emar- rf^ 

 ginate on inner welis. Tail <. 

 very variable in length and 

 shape, in our genera nearly even l 

 or deeply forked. Feet very ^ 

 small; tarsus much shorter than 

 tiliia, apjiroximately equal to 

 middle toe without claw, — usu- 

 ally feathered above, the rest Fio. 448. - A typical Kite ^i.7«„o«/M /or/,c«/,«). (From Miehelet.) 



mostly or entirely reticulate in small pattern (with few or no large transverse scutella). Gen- 

 eral organization is buteoiiine ; the scai>ular jirocess of coracoid does not meet the clavicle, 

 septum nasi incompletely o.ssified, anterior ridge of palate little developed, if at all ; super- 

 ciliary .shield in one or two pieces. Kites form a rather extensive group of Hawks of no 



