FAMILY ACCIPITRIDAE 



183 



Haverschmidt (Auk, 1959, p. 35), in Surinam, found a nest placed 

 on a strong branch of a huge cotton-tree growing in a coffee plan- 

 tation. The nest, rather small, was made of sticks, in the form usual 

 among tree-nesting hawks. The single nestling was "mouse brown, 

 with a dirty white stripe over the back : its head was dirty white with 

 a mouse brown triangle on top. Soft parts were as follows : iris 

 black; bill glossy black, with the white egg tooth still on the upper 



Fig. 38. — Slender-billed kite, gavilan piquidelgado, Helicolestes hamatus. 



mandible ; cere and sides of bill orange yellow ; inside of mouth red- 

 dish pink ; feet orange yellow with claws glossy black." Eggs of 

 this interesting species are not yet known. 



The slender-billed kite in general form and food habits is a forest- 

 inhabiting counterpart of the Everglade kite of open marshlands. 

 The forest bird differs in heavier form, and in relatively shorter and 

 more rounded wings, in which the primaries project less beyond the 

 secondaries. The tail also relatively is shorter. A more interesting 

 distinction is found in the immature plumage, which resembles the 



