150 



in mid air feedin;; upon snakes, which appeared to be 

 their favorite food in that locality. The writings of 

 Dr. Fisher show very positively, that this Kite never 

 disturbs poultry, birds or even small mammals, which 

 last named animals are so often preyed upon by 

 the smaller and weaker hawks. Dr. Fisher says: 



"The principal food of this Kite is small snakes, lizards, 

 frogs and various kinds of insects. It never molests t.mall 

 mammals or blrd.s. Among insects it is especially fond of 

 wasp Icrvae, grasshoppers and dragon flies, and its ^jovver to 

 change the direction of flight is most inarkedly shown in 

 capturing the latter insects, for its efforts to secure them 

 is often necessary for it to turn almost completely over in its 

 evolutions." 



In Florida Dr. C. Hart Merriam often saw these 

 Kites dart down and pick a wasp's nest from the un- 

 der side of a leaf of some high palmetto and fly oit" 

 with it, devouring while on the wing, the grubs it con- 

 tained.— (Am. Nat., vol. VIIT, 1874, p. 88.) 



Mr. H. Nehrling speaks of these birds' food in Texas 

 as follows: 



■'In August and September the birds are often seen in cot- 

 ton fields, where they feed on cotton worms and other in- 

 sects. They are particularly fond of small snakes, such as 

 r^eptophis, Rhinostoma coccinea, lizards (Anolius carolinensis 

 and Amei\a sex-lineata.) I have never seen them take a 

 bird or small quadruped."— Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol. VII, 

 1882, p. 17o.) 



THE NEST AND EGGS. 



"It probably breeds in suitable localities throughout its 

 range, even to the northern limit. Its nest has been takfii 

 in Minnesota, and according to a very interesting note by 

 Mr. Austin F. Park, it is very probaJble that a pair bred in 

 Rennsselaer county. New York, in 1886. (^The Auk. Vol. Ill, 

 p. 484.) In the southern part of the United States this species 

 begins to breed about the last of April or first of May, while 

 farther north it is past the middle of the latter month before 

 a full complement of eggs is deposited. The nest is situated 

 In the tops of the tallest trees and is placed among the smaller 

 branches, where it is well hidden by the thick foliago. Oc- 

 casionally it is built toward the end of a large limb, 20 feet 

 or more from the main trunk, the supporting branch usually 

 being not moie than a few inches in ditimeter. The nest 

 ofte7itimes is a r\ide structure. Jiiade of sticks only, and re- 

 sembles closely in appearance that of some of tiie herons 



