294 BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of mnle specimens from Southern United States. Length, I5'50; stretch, 39-50; wing, 1-2-50: tail, 

 7-50; hill, '95; tarsus, 1-25. Longest specimen, 16-00; greatest extent of wing, 40'00; longest wing, 13-00; tail, 7 75, bill, 

 1 CO; tarsus, 1'30. Shortest specimen, IS'OO; smallest extent of wing, 39'00; shortest wing, ld'00; tail, 7'00, bill, '90; tar- 

 sus, 1-20. 



Average measurements of fsmale specimens from Southern United States. Length, 10-00; stretch, 41'00; wing, 13-00; 

 tail, 7'75; bill, 1-05; tarsus, 1-35. Longest specimen, IG'50; greatest extent of wing, 41'SO; longest wing, 13 50; tail, 8'00; 

 bill, 1 ; 10; tarsus, 1-40. Shortest specimen, 15'50; smallest extent of wing, 30-00; shortest wing, 12-50; tail, 7-50; bill, I'OO; 

 tarsus, 1-30. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in low trees. They are not very bulky structures and are composed of sticks and twigs, lined with weeds, 

 grass, etc. 



Eyys, four to six in number, rather spherical in firm, white in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with brown and 

 umber of varying shades. Dimensions from T62x T44 to l'G4x T48. 



HABITS. 



The White-tailed Kite is probably one cf the rarest of the order in the section of which 

 I write and I never had the goon fortune to meet with one. The first specimen that was 

 ever noticed by ornithologists in North America, was obtained by Mr. Titian Peale, in East 

 Florida, many years ago. Yet few, if any, have been taken there since; indeed, only one 

 instance has come to my knowledge of it having been observed there, and in this instance, 

 a specimen was seen on or near the upper St. John's River by my correspondent, Mr. 

 Charles Nauman. Audubon makes record of it having been occasionally seen in the East- 

 ern portion of South Carolina but no one appears to have found it at all common cast of the 

 Mississippi River, although it is not uncommon in Texas, where it may, perhaps, spend 

 the winter. 



The White-tailed Kites did breed in South Carolina, for Audubon says that some nests 

 were taken early in March, from low trees which grew on the banks cf the Santce River. 

 Very few eggs, however, have been obtained and consequently they are very rare in col- 

 lections. This early time of nesting would indicate that this bird is constantly resident 

 in the more southern sections but is, without doubt, migratory when it occurs much fur- 

 ther north. 



FAMLY II. FALCONID^. THE FALCONS. 



The sternum does not equal in width the length cf the coracoids but the scapular process 

 of the latter meets thefurcula. Marginal indentations, two, inclosed. 



This family, in our section, is represented by a single genus, as I restrict it. The 

 manubrium is moderately well developed but is not forked. The furcula is stout, much 

 flattened by lateral expansion, wide and thick near the base which is rounded but not pro- 

 duced into a point. The terminal expansion is small but the furcula near it is not con- 

 tracted nor furrowed and is only bent downward to a point at about two thirds the height 

 of the keel. The marginal indentations, although varying in size with age, are always 

 inclosed. 



