SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 291 



DESCRIPTION OF NEST'S AND EGGS. 



Nesti, placed in high trees. They are m.t UTY bulky strurturrs and are composed of sticks, twigs, and Spanish moss, 

 lined with wi-oiN. 2i-.i<. etc. 



t, ('our to six in number, rather oval in form, white or crivnMi-white in color, spotted and blotched irregularly 

 witli brown and uuiber of varying shades. Dimension-; from l'48x T87 to l'50x I'DO. 



HABITS. 



About the first week in April, in the more southern portions of Florida, and a little 

 later in the more northern sections, quantities of Swallow-tailed Kites may be seen cours- 

 ing through the air. They come like the Swallows; first a solitary individual appears, then 

 a few mure, until, at length, they arc to be seen in all directions, often in companies of a 

 dozen or more. It is, perhaps, difficult to find more graceful birds on the wing than these 

 Kites and their elegant aerial gyrations do not fail to attract the attention of even the cas- 

 ual observer. Not only in migrating do they resemble the Swallows but, as their name 

 implies, in form, and also in flight; for they circle high over head, at such a giddy height 

 that they appear like mere specks against the blue sky, when their long, broadly expanded 

 tail is scarcely visible; then something below attracts their attention, so down they come, 

 only to glide smoothly and swiftly over the tree tops. Their flight, when near the surface 

 of the ground, is particularly noticeable, for although they move in a sinuous course and 

 frequently double upon their tracks, all these evolutions are performed with a graceful ease 

 which is seldom excelled by other birds. They have' an object in thus traversing about, 

 over the tops of the shrubbery, for they maybe observed to swoop suddenly downward, 

 pause a moment, almost on the ground, then mount quickly upward, bearing a writhing 

 snake in their talons. This they eat as they fly, bending the head downward to secure 

 each mouthful; thus devouring the entire reptile quite leisurely while sailing quietly about 

 in ever broadening circles, until the meal is finished. 



The Swallow-tailed Kites appear to spend the greater portion of their time upon the 

 wing and even when gathering material for the nest, they do not alight but fly through 

 the trees ami pluck off twigs or pick up bunches of Spanish moss. They present a sin- 

 gular appearance when carrying this latter named material which, in Florida, is largely 

 used in the composition of the nest, and I once saw one with such along piece that it trailed, 

 for at least two yards, behind the Kite as she flew swiftly through the air. 



Nest building, with these beautiful Kites, begins, in Florida, about the first week in 

 May and the domiciles are placed in the tops of high pines or oaks which grow in situations 

 remote from settlements; thus the eggs are quite rare in collections. The young make 

 their appearance in due course, arc carefully reared by their parents, and in early autumn, 

 they all depart for the South, passing quite out of the country to spend the winter in the 

 Tropics. 



GENTS IV. KTIMA. THE PRAIRIE KITES. 



GKN. Cu. BUI, short, broad, well curved, with the citttiny cily nfvjiprr manili/ile, lobcd. Tarsus, not Ion// and nearly 

 nakfd. Tail, sjuare and s/iyhtly emaryinate, not exceeding in lenyth one half the lenyth of the winys which arc considerably 

 thnyated. There is no ruff on the face. 



