90 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



*329. IcTiNiA MississippiENSis (Wils.)- Mississippi Kite. 



Falco mississippiensis. Falco plumbeus. Ictinia plumbea. Ictinia sub- 

 caeridea. 



Geog. Dist. — Southern United States east of Rocky Mountains ; 

 south to Guatemala; north to South CaroUna, Missouri and 

 Kansas, casually to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and 

 Dakota. Winters south of the United States. 



The region of the cypress swamps and cotton fields in the south- 

 east is the only part of Missouri where Mississippi Kites may be 

 called common summer residents, where half a dozen or more 

 may be seen circling playfully above the timber, or hunting 

 peacefully like so many Nighthawks low over the sanely fields. 

 In the eighties a pair made its home for several summers in a 

 small secluded piece of primeval forest in the southwestern part 

 of St. Louis, arriving there near the end of April and remaining 

 till August. As most of the stately trees have since then been 

 removed and the place has become common hunting ground, 

 the gentle, dove-like pair is gone, but a few Mississippi Kites 

 still find their way to St. Louis County and probably nest 

 on the bluffs of the Missouri River. There are no records for 

 the species from that part of the state north of the Missouri 

 River, but the bird is not unknown in the Ozark region of south- 

 ern Missouri. Mr. Kastendieck has specimens in his collection 

 taken near his home in Billings, Cliristian Co., and in the early 

 eighties Mr. Nehrling found them "pretty numerous" in Law- 

 rence Co. The writer was pleased to see them lately (May 

 1906) in pairs in Webster and Howell Counties, in localities 

 where they are likely to survive for some time yet. 



/. 



*331. Circus HUDSONius (Linn.). Marsh Hawk. 



Falco hitdsonius. Circus cyaneus htidsonius. Falco uliginosus. Falco 

 cyaneus. Circus cyaneus. American Harrier. Mouse Hawk. 



Geog. Dist. — Breeds from Alaska, Great Slave Lake, Hudson 

 Bay and Cape Breton Island southward to the southern border 

 of the United States, and winters from about lat. 40° southward 

 to Panama and Cuba. 



The Marsh Hawk was undoubtedly formerly a veiy common 

 summer resident in the prairie region of Missouri. Audubon 

 met with it near the northwest corner of the state, May 6, 1843. 

 Trippe in 1872 called it abundant; ''many breed" in Decatur Co., 

 la., just across the state line. Mr. E. S. Currier found it breeding 



