22 BIBDS OF KANSAS. 



that the birds were quite common, and breeding there fifteen or twenty years 

 ago, but now quite scarce; that he saw three of the birds in the fall of 1882 at 

 a "slaughter pen" with Turkey Buzzards; that in 1858 he found a nest with 

 two eggs in an old hollow broken stump. And Dr. Lewis Watson reports the 

 capture of one at Ellis, March 27th, 1885. Nest on the ground, and in old hol- 

 low logs and crevices of rocks. Begin laying about the middle of April. Eggs, 

 two, laid on the bare ground and rotten wood, no material of any kind used for 

 lining; 3.00x2.00; dull yellowish to bluish white, spotted and blotched irregu- 

 larly, in some cases sparingly, on others thickly with umber to dark reddish 

 brown; in form rounded oval. 



SUBORDER FALCO1STES. VULTURES, FALCONS, HAWKS, BUZ- 

 ZARDS, EAGLES, KITES, HARRIERS, ETC. 



FAMILY FALCONID^E, VULTURES, FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 



SUBFAMILY ACCIPITRIN>3i. KITES, BUZZAEDS, HAWKS, GOSHAWKS, 



EAGLES, ETC. 



GENUS ELANOIDES VIEILLOT. 



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



113. Blanoides forficatus (LINN.). Swallow-tailed Kite. Irregular summer 

 resident in eastern Kansas; some seasons common, others rare. Arrive the 

 first of May. Begin laying the last of May. Nest in the small branches near 

 the tops of tall trees, composed of sticks loosely interwoven, and lined spar- 

 ingly with the soft, ribbon-like strippings from the inner bark of decaying or 

 dead cotton wood trees. Eggs, four to six; 1.87x1.50; cream white, irregularly 

 spotted and blotched with dark reddish brown, running often largely together 

 towards small end; in form rather oval. 



GENUS ICTINIA VIEILLOT. 



B. 36. R. 428. C. 491. G. 198. U. 329. 



114. Ictinia mississippiensis (WILS.). Mississippi Kite. Summer resident; 

 rare. Arrive the first of May. Begin laying the last of May. Nest in the 

 forks of trees along the streams, often in deserted crows' nests, fitted up with 

 a few extra sticks and green twigs in leaf, for lining. Eggs, two or three; 

 measurement of one egg collected at Neosho Falls, 1.70x1.35; pure white; in 

 form roundish. 



GENUS CIRCUS LACEPEDE. 



B. 38. R. 430. C. 489. G. 199. U. 331. 



115. Circus hudsonius ( LINN.). Marsh Hawk. Resident; abundant. Begin 

 laying about the first of May. Nest placed on the ground, in the grass, some- 

 times under low bushes, and usually on the bottom prairie lands; a slight 

 structure, made usually of grasses, sometimes with a foundation of sticks and 



