EVERGLADE KITE. 



2o9 



Younq male. Similar to tlie adult female but with tlie throat whiter and the stripc« on under surface lighter and a 

 liille liroadcr. Supen-iliary line, extending from base of bill to occiput, and spaces on sides of neck, also white. Cere, 

 etc., pale orange. Iris, ruby-rod in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



T!icre appears to be but little variation in specimens of the same age and sex. Known from all other species which oe- 

 i-ur wit'nn our limits by the long, curved bill and claws and hy the colors as deserihed. A skin of an adult female, from 

 t' c S:i)it!isonian Collection (No, 53,081) , taken in Buenos Ayres, and kindly loaned by Prof. Baird, does not difl'er essen- 

 tially from Florida birds, excepting in being, prehaps, a little darker. Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout the 

 marshy sections of Middle and Southern Florida and in some portions of South America. 



DLMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of male specimens from Southern Florida. Length, 17-00; stretch, 4 1-75; wing, l:{-75; tail, »>-85-. 

 'ill, I 00; tar-iu<, 1-85. Longest specimen, 18-00; greatest extent of wing, 45-00; longest wing, 14-00; tail, 7-00, bill, 104; 

 tarsus, 2-00. Shortest specimen, 16-00; smallest extent of wing, 44-25; shortest wing, 13-50; tail, 6-75; hill -95- t-n-sus 

 1-7.5. 



Avarago mo.isuroiu^ats of famale specimens from Siuthern Florida. Length, 17-05; stretch, 45-30; wing, 14-25; tail, 

 7 50; I)!!!, -'Ji, tu-su-i, TOj. Ljngest specimin, 1710; greatest extent of wing, 45-90; longest wing, 14-50; tail, 7-50; l)ill, 

 1 CO; tarsus, rSO. Shortest specimen, 17-00; smallest extent of wing, 44-75; shortest wing, 14-50; tail, 7-50; hill, -05; tar- 

 sus, 1-43. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in bushes. They are not very bulky structures and are composed of sticks, twigs, weeds, etc., lined with 

 grass. 



Eiiijs, one or two in number, rather oval inform, hluish-white in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with brown 

 and umber of varying shades. Dimensioas from 1-40 x 155 to 1-55 x 1-76. 



HABITS. 



The Everglades! Nearly every intelligent individual looks with interest on these 

 words, but to him who loves to study the works of Nature, they exj^ress volumes of untold 

 wonders; for long has this section of Florida been an unknown land to the naturalist. Ow- 

 ing to their remote situation, but a few white men ever enter their limits; indeed, I will 

 venture to st:ite that it would be diflicult to find a hundred individuals who have stood 

 within their borders and few among this number would possess any great degree of intel- 

 ligence, while perhaps none would be students of Nature. I had long desired to see this 

 far-famed spot and was, therefore, much pleaseil to find myself on the banks of the Miami 

 River and learn that this beautiful stream was one of the numerous thoroughfares used by 

 the Seminolcs in passing to and from their homes in Pi-i-o-kee, the Indian name for the 

 Everglades. 



Not long after our arrival, four of us entered a small dingey with the intention of 

 visiting those extensive marshes. This attempt, however, proved unsuccessful, for we 

 were unable to stem the s^wift current with the boat so heavily laden. 



But a few days later, on the cigthteenth of February, accompanied only by a single 

 individual, I again made the attempt. We started e;irly in the morning and rowed up 

 the win ling river, the margins of which were bordered for some distance with mangroves. 

 Leaving these, we came into a more open country and caught sight of the pine barrens. 

 Still we pushed onward, passeil the only houses, or rather shanties, that disgrace the b;ink, 

 and entered the unbroken wilderness beyond. The river's edges were now overhung l)y a 

 dense growth of flowering shrubs from which rose an occasional palmetto that hung iU 



