BIRDS OF NEW YORK 69 



down in the same place where he went up and lit on the same tree. He sat 

 there 7 minutes this time, when up he went again straight out of sight. 

 This time he was gone 51 minutes. I had about given him up and turned 

 to go to the house when I saw him coming down again and another one 

 with him. They lit on the same tree. I started for them and one started 

 up again out of sight. He went in a flash. The other sat still. I walked 

 on a short distance farther, when up he went and I fired at him. He 

 folded his wings and came down. From where I stood to where the kite 

 lay was 17 rods, 3 feet. I watched for the other one, but did not see him 

 again that day; but I have seen him once since, yesterday, the 29th. . . . 

 I shot the kite on the i6th of July, 10.30 o'clock, a. m. 



" I live near a big timber lot of about 500 acres, and about a mile 

 from my house is a large ash swamp of as much more, with quite a body 

 of water in the center." 



Under date of August 3, 1886: " I will get the mate to this bird (the 

 mounted kite), and will send it to you gratis. I am watching him and his 

 maneuvering and actions and learning a little something of his habits. 

 His roosting spot is in the large swamp west of me." 



Under date of August 9, 1886, Mr Haight writes: " I shot this bird 

 (a great blue heron) while hunting for the kite in the big swamp. I saw 

 him today several times. The last time that I saw him he was dissecting 

 a hornets' nest and sat on the top of a dead stub out in the water, so I could 

 not get a shot at him. I am going to give him another trial tomorrow if 

 the day is cloudy. A clear day is not a good time to hunt him. He is 

 a third larger than the other kite I sent you, and I think there are more 

 in the swamp. I could see some birds in the dead ashes that looked like 

 them and moved around like a kite." Evidently, from its size, this kite 

 was a female and was probably the mate of the male secured on July i6th. 

 The birds seen among the ashes in the swamp may have been their young. 



Under date of July 17, 1891, Mr Haight writes: " We are watching 

 the kite very closely. It seems to alight in the top of the tallest trees in 

 the woods. It lit on the side hill a short ways from the house today, and 



