BIRDS OF KANSAS. 247 



FAMILY FALCONID^E. VULTURES, FALCONS, HAWKS, 

 EAGLES, ETC. 



"Eyes directed laterally, and eyelids provided with lashes. Toes invariably 

 naked, and tarsus usually naked and scutellate (feathered only in Aquila and 

 Archibuteo). Outer toe not reversible (except in Pandion). Head never with 

 ear tufts and never wholly naked (except in the Vulturince of the old world)." 



SUBFAMILY ACCIPITRIN^E. KITES, BUZZARDS, HAWKS, GOS- 

 HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 



Outer toe not reversible; claws graduated in size from the largest (that of 

 hind toe) to the smallest (that of outer toe), broader and (except in Elanus) 

 grooved on under side. (Ridgway.) 



Nostril not circular, nor linear and oblique, with the upper end the posterior 

 one, nor with central bony tubercle. (Ridgway.) 



GENUS ELANOIDES. VIEIIXOT. 



"Form swallow-like, the tail excessively lengthened and forked, and the 

 wings extremely long. Bill rather small and narrow; commissure faintly sinu- 

 ated; iipper outline of the lower mandible very convex, the depth of the man- 

 dible at the base being about half that through the middle; gonys drooping 

 terminally, nearly straight. Side of the head densely feathered close up to the 

 eyelids. Nostril ovoid, obliquely vertical. Feet small but robust; tarsus about 

 equal to middle toe, covered with large, very irregular scales; toes with trans- 

 verse scutellse to their base; claws short but strongly curved; grooved beneath, 

 their edges sharp. Second or third quill longest; first shorter than, equal to 

 or longer than the fourth; two outer primaries with inner webs siuuated. Tail 

 with the outer pair of feathers more than twice as long as the middle pair." 



Elanoides forficatus (LIXN.). 



SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 

 PLATE XV. 



Irregular summer resident in the eastern part of the State; 

 some seasons common, others rare. Arrive the first of May; 

 begin laying the last of May. A few remain until late in the fall. 



B. 34. R. 426. C. 493. G. 197, 113. U. 327. 



HABITAT. Tropical and warm temperate America; north to 

 Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota. (Western Manitoba. Seton. ) Cas- 

 ually to Pennsylvania and southern New England; accidental 

 in England. 



SP. CHAR. "Adult, male and female: Whole head and neck, lining of wings, 

 broad band across the rump and entire lower parts pure white; iuterseapulars 

 and lesser wing coverts rich, dark, soft, bronzed purplish black; rest of upper 

 parts, including lower part of rump, upper tail coverts and tail more metallic 



