153 



occurring regularly as far north as Georgia, Southern UUnols, 

 Indian Territory and Kansas, and casually to Iowa and Wis- 

 confiin. A few remain In the southern United States all win- 

 ter, but the greater part pass on to Mexico during October, 

 and return again in the latter part of April. * • * 

 "Thrc^ specimens which Wilson examined at Natchez, Mi?B., 

 ccntained the remains of beetles, and he taw them flying 

 about the trees feeding on cicadas. Dr. Coues mentions one 

 sliot at Blufflon, South Carolina, whose stomach was 

 crammed with the same insects, together w'th a few katydids. 

 It is wonderful at what a distance its iceen eyes can delect 

 a conjparatively small insect. Mr. E. \V. Nelson feays: *I 

 paw them repeatedly dart with unerring aim upim some luck- 

 less grasshopper from an elevation of at least 100 yards." — 

 (Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. LX, 1877, p. 58.) 



THE NEST AND EGGS. 



"As regards the economic value of this Kite, much of the 

 same statement may be made as of the previous species. It 

 does little or no damage, but much good. Soon after arriv- 

 ing in its summer home it begins to remodel its old nest or the 

 deserted nest of some other bird, and more rarely, when these 

 are not available, it builds a new one. The remodeling con- 

 sists in patching up the sides with a few sticks and adding 

 a sparse lining of Spanish moss or green leaves. The nest is 

 usually situated in the tops of the tallest trees, among the 

 smaller branches, where it is well concealed by^ the foliage. 

 The full complement of eggs, usually two or three in number, 

 is deposited by the middle of May, though in some cases it 

 must be much earlier, for the writer once secured a young 

 bird in southern Louisiana the last of May which already 

 had acquired nearly the adult plumage. 



NOT A SHY BIRD. 



"The Kite is not at all shy, and may be secured easily as 

 it sits on some tall stub; in fact. Col. N. S. Goss tells of 

 shooting a pair from the same tree, as the second one did not 

 move at the report of the gun, but looked down with sur- 

 prise on its fallen companion. It is said to be moi-ose and ir- 

 ritable in captivity and very difficult to tame. A specimen 

 which the writer once wounded was the very picture of rage 

 as with flashing eyes and erect crest it threw itself on its 

 back and prepared to repel the aggressor with its talons. 



"This species is fully as gregarious as any of the other 

 Kites, and oftentimes may be seen in flocks of twenty or 

 more circling over a favorite hunting ground. It is observed 

 most frequently around the border of woods in the vicinity 

 of water, and is particularly fond of half cleared ground 

 where dead trees still stand, these being used for perches. 



"Its flight is as varied and graceful as that of the Swallow- 

 tailed Kite, is long protracted, and the bird often ascends 

 to so great a height as to be barely visible. While soaring 

 high in the air its flight simulates that of the Turkey Buz- 

 zard very closely, and as the two birds often are seen to- 

 gether the Kite looks li"ke a miniature of the other." 



