162 Birds of Xorth Carolina 



pale grcy-grecn instead of ereainy white, as in the other species. The only sets of 

 eggs we know to have been talven in Nortli Carolina were secured on an island in 

 Neuse River, two miles above Milburnie, in Wake County, on April 20, 1891, and 

 April 20, 1893, and April (i, 189(), by IJrinilcy. The eggs found on the two former 

 dates were advanced in incubation, while those on the last date were fresh. 



30. FAMILY BUTEONID/E. HAWKS. EAGLES, KITES. ETC. 



This family includes all (if the liawk tiihc, cxceiit the true falcmis. and the 

 Osprey or Fish Hawk. 



They have strong, hooked bills, and long, curved, sharp claws. .\11 arc diurnal 

 in their hal)its and they constitute owr typical birds of prey. Many of them feed on 

 small nuunmals, others ])artakc extensively of rc])tilcs, while fish, crustaceans, and 

 insects are not despised. Many of these ])oints, however, are shared in connuon 

 with tiie Ospreys, all the claws of which are the same length, and tlie Falcons, 

 which have cir<'ular nostrils with a central bony tubercle. 



KKY TO CiENEU.\ 



1. Wiiiff inorr iIkui LiO, l.:ul not. forked. Kagles. See 2. 



1. Wing not, more than IS. Sec 3. 



2. Tarsus fcat.hci'etl to the toes. AqiiiUi. 



2. Tarsus naUcil all round for nt least lower third. Hdliaetus. 



•i. Tail deeply forked. Etniioidi-s. 



;i. Tail not deeply forked. See 4. 



4. Tarsus densely feathered in front to base of toes. ArchibtUeo. 



4. 'I'arsus naked all round. See .">. 



.'). Tarsus reticulate all roinid. Elatius. 



5. Tarsus seiitellate in front. See 6. 



0. Face with a slight ruff, as in the owls; tarsus ahout as long as tibia; wings long. Cirrus. 



ti. Faee without a rulT. See 7. 



7. Tarsus about as long as tibia; wing.s short, little longer than tail. Accipilcr. 



7. Tarsus decidedly shorter than tibia. See S. 



8. Tarsus .scutlelale in front anil behind. Bulco. 

 8. Tarsu.s scutellatc in fiont only. Idiiua. 



Genus Elanoides iVieill.i 

 144. Elanoides forficatus {Linn.). Sw.\llow-t.\iled Kite. 



Descriiilion. — Head, neek, an<l entire lower parts, and band across ruinj) white; back, wings, 

 and tail black. Distinguished from all our other hawks bv the very deeply foiked tail. L., 

 19.00 to 20. 00; \y. .!.-)..■)() to 17.7.-); T.. 12..5() to U.-W. 



Raiifie. — Tropical and \yarm temperate .\meriea; regularly from Xorth Carolina .southward; 

 ca.sually nuich farther north. 



RiiiKji' ill Sartli CiiroliiKi. — Summer resident in Crayen County, and probably other |>arts of 

 the ea.st. Occasional in the mountain region. 



In gracefulness of iligiit the Swallow-tailed Kite is the equal of a tern or swallow, 

 and on the wing it appears not wholly unlike a gigantic member of either group. 



In this State it seems to occur regularly in the lake region of Craven County 

 below New Bern, where we have observetl it during summers of 190o, 190G, 1907, 

 and 1909. Pearson also nutcd a specimen near Waccamaw Lake, in Columi)US 

 County, on ,)une 16, 1898. While not of common occurrence, it is evidently a regu- 

 lar summer visitor in Craven County, where it has acquired the name of "Snake 



