THE MUSEUM. 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. I. 



ALBION, N. Y., JUNE 15, 1895. 



No. 8^ 



The Swallow-tailed Kite- 



Elanoidcs forficatits. 



In connection with our excellent 

 picture of The Swallow-tailed Kite and 

 its eggs, we have taken the liberty of 

 quoting portions of the life history of 

 this species as written by Capt. Chas. 

 E. Bendire, Curator of the Oological 

 Department of the National Museum, 

 at Washington, D. C, in his work en- 

 titled "Life Histories of North Ameri- 

 can Birds." 



GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE: 



"Tropical and warm temperate por- 

 tions of North America; north in the 

 interior regularly to Illinois, Iowa, 

 Minnesota, casually to Manitoba, and 

 Assiniboia, etc. ; along the Atlantic 

 coast casually to Pennsylvania, New 

 York, and southern New England; ac- 

 cidental in England. 



"Although the breeding range of 

 the Swallow-tailed Kite within the 

 limits of the United States must be 

 considered to be quite extensive, it is a 

 very irregular one, and the birds are 

 only summer residents over the great- 

 er part of their range. It breeds reg- 

 ularly in Florida and South Carolina, 

 and probably farther north along the 

 Atlantic seaboard, in the states of 

 North Carolina and Virginia, and ap- 

 parently even in New York state, where 

 several Kites were observed on differ- 

 ent occasions in Rensselear County, in 

 the latter part of July and the begin- 

 ning of August, 1886, strongly suggest- 



ing their breeding in that vicinity dur- 

 ing the season in question. 



"From Florida westward it is irreg- 

 ularly distributed through the Gulf 

 States, including the greater portion of 

 Texas. It also breeds in the interior 

 in suitable localities throughout the en- 

 tire length of the Mississippi Valley, 

 and in the states adjacent to our north- 

 ern boundary, and a few pass this, as 

 it has been observed on different occa- 

 sions in the British provinces of Assin- 

 iboia and Manitoba, in latitude 50 de- 

 grees. 



"Stragglers have been taken during 

 the summer months in many of our 

 Northern States, as well as in Eng- 

 land, but few winter within our board- 

 ers, and, excepting in portions of Flor- 

 ida and Texas, it must be considered 

 as rather a rare species throughout its 

 summer range. It is also found 

 throughout a greater part of the South 

 American Continent as far south as 

 the Argentine Republic and Chile. 



"Dr. William L. Ralph, who has- 

 had excellent opportunities to observe 

 the Swallow-tailed Kite in Florida dur- 

 ing several seasons, writes me as fol- 

 lows about it: 'Excepting, perhaps, 

 the Turkey Vulture, I think this bird 

 is the most graceful of any while on 

 the wing. It has the same easy float- 

 ing motion, but at times it flies very 

 rapidly and turns very quickly, which. 

 is something I have never seen the for- 

 mer bird do. Their motions are very 

 'Swallow-like;' and that, with their 

 forked tails; makes them look like gi- 



