290 HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES 



B. Front of the tarsus smooth, or with the scales not sharply defined 



a. Tarsus not entirely feathered. 



a 1 . Wing under 9*00, tail-feathers of nearly equal length. 



332. SKARP-SHINNED HAWK (Ad.). 



a 2 . Wing over 9*00, outer tail-feathers half an inch shorter than the 

 middle ones; upper tail-coverts not white. 



333. COOPER'S HAWK (Ad.). 

 a 3 . Wing over 9*00; upper tail-coverts white. 



331. MARSH HAWK (Ad.). 



b. Tarsus entirely feathered. 



ft 1 . Legs rich rufous, heavily barred . 348. FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-LEG. 

 6 2 . Legs ochraceous-buff, more or less barred. 



347a. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 

 3. Underparts without streaks or bars. 



A. Underparts white. 



a. Scales on front of tarsus transverse, more or less square. 



334. SHORT-TAILED HAWK. 



b. Scales on front of tarsus numerous, rounded. 

 6 1 . Tail barred. 



(> 2 . Upperparts not barred 364. OSPREY. 



6 3 . Upperparts barred . 353. WHITE GYRFALCON. 



c 1 . Tail not barred. 



c 2 . Tail square, white 328. WHITE-TAILED KITE. 



c 3 . Tail forked, bluish black . . . 327. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 



B. Underparts dark brown, slate, gray, or black. 



a. Tarsus entirely feathered . . . 347a. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 

 6. Tarsus partly feathered, scales transverse, more or less square. 

 ft 1 . Wing over 13'00. 



b 2 . Upper tail-coverts, base and tip of the tail white; two outer 



primaries slightly "notched" . . . 330. EVERGLADE KITE. 



fe 3 . Three outer primaries "notched"* . 342. SWAINSON'S HAWK. 



b 4 . Four outer primaries "notched" . . 338. HARLAN'S HAWK. 



c 1 . Wing under 13 '00. 



c 2 . Primaries more or less distinctly barred ; general plumage sooty 



black 344. SHORT-TAILED HAWK. 



c 3 . Primaries not barred; general plumage slaty blue. 



329. MISSISSIPPI KITE. 



327. Elanoides forficatus (Linn.). SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. Ads. 

 Head, neck, linings of wings, rump, part of tertials, and underparts 

 white; rest of plumage glossy bluish black; tail deeply forked, outer feathers 

 about 8'00 longer than middle ones. L., 24'00; W., 16'50; T., 13'50; B. from 

 N., '80. 



Range. N. and S. A. Breeds locally from se. Sask., n. Minn., s. Wise.. 

 s. Ind., and S. C., s. through e. Mex. and Cen. Am. to Peru, Bolivia, and 

 Paraguay; accidental w to N. M. and Colo, and n. to n. Wise., Ont., N. Y.. 

 Maine, Mass., and in England; casual in the Greater Antilles; winters s. of 

 the U. S. 



Washington, three records, Aug.; Apl. SE. Minn., uncommon S. R., 

 May 4. 



Nest, in the upper branches of tall trees. Eggs, 2-3, white or buffy 

 white, boldly spotted or blotched, chiefly round the larger end, with hazel- 

 brown, chestnut, or rich madder-brown, 1*87 x 1'49 (Ridgw.). Date, San 

 Mateo, Fla., Apl. 11; Black Hawk Co., Iowa, June 2, 1878. 



The Swallow-tailed Kite winters in Central and South America, 

 and appears in the United States in March. Its home is the air, and 

 it is far more frequently seen on the wing than at rest. It captures 



*Fig. 88. 



