Birds of Indiana. '^71 



<■'. Tail deeply forked. E1.ANOIDES. 70 



c'K Tail not deeply forked. 



rf'. Wing not more than 18.00 inches. 

 e'. Tarsus more or less naked in front. 

 p. Front of tarsus covered with small roundish st-ales; claws n((t 



grooved beneath. Elantis. 



/'-. Front of tarsus covered with large transverse scales ; claws grooved 

 beneath. 

 (/'. Cutting edge of upper mandible notched. Icttnia. 71 



7^. Cutting edge of upper mandible not notched. 



hK Face with a slight ruflf as in owls. Circus. 72 



/»-'. Face without a ruff. 



(■'. Tarsus about equal to tibia; wings little longer than tail. 



Ac'CT PITER. 7.'! 

 I-. Tarsus usually less than three-fourths the length of tibia ; tail 

 much shorter than wing. 

 ./'. Nostril nearly ovate, its forward end |)ointed upward; 

 wings rather pointed. Bvte<i. 74 



j-. Nostril nearly circular; wings rounded. Asturnia. 

 c'^. Tarsus densely feathered to base of toes, except a bare strip behind. 



Archibuteo. 75 

 (1-. Wing over 18.00 inches. 



/■'. Tarsus feathered all round to base of toes. 



Aquri-A. 7fi 

 k'\ Tarsus with at least lower third naked all round. 



,Hai.t;i",etus. 77 



SuBKAMtLv ACCIPITRIN^K. Kites, Bu/zarlxs, Hawks, Etc. 

 70. Gknus ELANOIDES Virillot. 



128. (H27). Elanoides forficatus (Linn.). 



Swallow-tailed Kite. 



Adult.— Tml, forked like that of some swallows; head, neck, band 

 across rump, and lower parts, pure white; rest of plumage, glossy 

 black, with reflections of varying shades. Immature. — Head and neck, 

 streaked with dusky; black less glossy; feathers of wings and tail, more 

 or less margined with white. 



Length, 19.50-25.50; wing, 15.40-17.70; outer tail feathers, 12.50- 

 14.50; culmen, 0.70-0.80; tarsus, 1.00-1.30. 



Range. — America, from Brazil to Virginia, Indiana and Minnesota; 

 rarely to Massachusetts, Ontario, Michigan, Manitoba, and Assiniboia. 

 Breeds from Indiana, Illinois and Iowa southward. Winters south 

 of United States. 



