BIRDS OF KANSAS. 253 



changing gradually to ochraceous on outer feathers; ear coverts uniform rich 

 dark brown; feathers of 'facial disk' dark brown, broadly edged with rufous; 

 lower parts rich rusty ochraceous, growing gradually paler posteriorly, the 

 breast and sides narrowly and (usually) indistinctly streaked with darker, but 

 elsewhere immaculate. Downy young: Entirely pale cinnamon buffy, tinged 

 with grayish on back, and becoming almost white on lower parts. (Ridgway.) 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. Cere. 



Male 18.00 41.50 13.25 8.90 2.90 .65 .80 



Female... 21.00 45.50 15.00 10.25 3.00 .70 .30 



Iris brown; bill horn blue, light at base; cere greenish yellow; 

 legs and feet yellow; claws black. 



This widely-distributed species (a sort of connecting link be- 

 tween the Hawks and Owls) has been found breeding as far 

 north as Hudson's Bay and Alaska, and they no doubt occa- 

 sionally breed northward within their range. I have found 

 them breeding in Lower California, but south of the United 

 States and northern Mexico they are not common, and as a rule 

 only winter sojourners. The birds frequent the low lands and 

 marshes, not from choice, I imagine, but because the food they 

 seek is the most abundant there; for they appear alike at home 

 upon the plains, in localities where the lizards and small rodents 

 abound. 



Its flight is low and not swift, but very light and buoyant, 

 flapping and sailing as it courses over the ground, often hover- 

 ing with vibrating wings as it catches sight of some unlucky 

 rodent, lizard, frog or bird in the grass beneath; never giving 

 chase, but dropping upon its prey, and eating it where caught, 

 unless in a very exposed situation, when it flies to a more se- 

 cluded place upon the ground. The birds often alight upon a 

 fence post, but seldom in trees, but I never saw one attempt to 

 feed upon its prey from a perch. In food habits they are not 

 particular; a sort of scavenger, that readily feeds upon the car- 

 cass of a bird or fish in fact, nothing seems to come amiss. 



These birds as a whole are very beneficial, though occasion- 

 ally killing a stray chicken, but seldom venturing within the 

 door yard; and they have not the courage to tackle a full grown 

 fowl at least I have never known them to do so, and I have 

 often seen a hen drive them away from her chicks. 



