Nov. 1886.] 

—_— — — 

and the depth seven inches. On the inside it re- 
sembled the familiar ‘‘ platform” of the Heron 
family—the depression being hardly noticeable. 
I spent the morning in the vicinity, and before 
noon I was rewarded by seeing one of the Kites 
coming towards the tank, circling in the air 
several times, and gradually nearing the water, 
into which he plunged—immersing half its body, 
but keeping its wings in motion and rising out of 
the water after flying about ten feet. It repeated 
this manceuvre several times, and, in my en- 
deavors to get within shooting distance, it saw 
me and took its departure I had seen it closely 
enough, however, to be positive that it was a 
Mississippi Kite. 
On writing to one of my correspondents about 
this set of eggs, he cast doubt upon their identity, 
stating that the genuine eggs of the Mississippi 
Kite ‘‘were blotched with brown.” As my eggs 
were of a bluish-white, unspotted, I decided to 
again make the attempt to secure one of the birds, 
and on July 2d I followed one of them from the 
same tank, and after a zig zag chase of over an 
hour’s duration, I was so fortunate as to see the 
bird alight on what I had previously taken for an 
old Crow’s nest. I went towards the nest but now 
the Kite did not fly off, and knowing that I could 
take it whenever I pleased, I climbed up the tree, 
counting on another set of eggs. Alas, however, 
the nest contained only one young Kite, covered 
with pinfeathers and patches of a dirty white 
down. 
I examined the nest carefully, and under the 
moss and leaves with which the present occupant 
had filled it, I found the original lining of the old 
Crow’s nest, composed of hog-hair. 
There is no doubt in my mind that this was the 
same pair of birds which laid the set of eggs taken 
on May 22d, but whether the single egg (which 
had hatched into the young bird when I found 
the nest) was of the second laving, or whether it 
would have been added to the other two eggs 
found May 22d is an open question. I am inclined 
to think, however, that it was of the second lay- 
ing. I shot the male bird before leaving the 
vicinity. 
When the nest of the Mississippi Kite is ap- 
proached they utter a note almost identical with 
that of the Swallow-tailed Kite, but, unlike that 
species, they do not fight the intruder. 
The two eggs that I secured on May 22d differ 
very materially from the egg in Mr, F. H. Car- 
penter’s cabinet, described in THE ORNITHOLO- 
GIST AND OdLoaIst for September, 1886, (Vol. 
XI, p. 142). His is dirty white, marked at one 
end with large faded brown blothes, and smaller 

AND ceblele 



and Highiter spots. Mine are dull bluish (or green- 
ish) white, and wamarked. No. 1 measures 1.65x 
1.40 inches and No. 2 1.63x1.34. No. 2 has one or 
two light brownish stains on it. 
Having heard that the Messrs. Rachford, of 
Beaumont, Texas, had collected sets of eggs of 
the Mississippi Kite I wrote to them for descrip- 
tions of the eggs and quote from their reply : 
“Tn reply to yours concerning the eggs of the 
Mississippi Kite, we will say that we have taken 
two sets (three eggs)—one set of two eggs last 
year (1885), and a set of one this year (1886), and 
the color was invariably white, with a very slight 
greenish tinge, and unmarked. The identity of 
ours is perfect, and we shot the old bird at the ncst 
as she came off.” 
I would also call attention to the egg of this 
species found by Mr. N. 8. Goss, in Kansas, and 
described by him in The Auk for January, 1885, 
(Vol. II, p. 21). The birds were found nesting in 
“an old Crow’s nest, fitted up with a few extra 
sticks, and green twigs in leaf for lining.” On 
July 5th, he says, there was in this nest ‘‘one egg 
in an advanced state of incubation, but with care 
I was able to save it. Color, pure white; meas- 
urements, 1.70x1.35.” 
Now as the egg in Mr. Carpenter’s collection is 
so well authenticated, I think I can explain the 
discrepancy between it and the ones found by 
Mr. Goss, Messrs. Rachford and myself. It is a 
well known fact that many species of birds that 
lay eggs normally unspotted now and then vary 
from their type, and occasionally present us with 
sets more or less blotched or spotted with light or 
darker colors. Ido not need to cite instances of 
this as they are too well known. May not this 
be a case in point? The eggs taken by Mr. Goss, 
Messrs. Rachford and myself being typical ones of 
the species, while Mr. Carpenter's is the variation ? 
In conclusion I would say that I have made 
many inquiries among the boys in this locality, 
and have only heard of two other nests of the 
“Blue Darter” having been found here. One of 
these contained two “white eggs,” and the other 
two young birds. I know myself that the bird is 
rare aan as the pair whose eggs were taken on 
May 22d, and three other birds (an adult and two 
young) that I saw one day when riding to Gid- 
dings, are the only ones I have ever seen in this 
locality. 
The set of two eggs collected May 22d are now 
in the cabinet of a gentleman in Philadelphia. 
[Mr. F. H. Carpenter informs me that the egg 
taken from the female bird shot by his uncle, the 
late Mr. G. H. Carpenter, in 1867, (see ORNITH- 
OLOGIST AND OoLoaist for September, 1886, Vol. 
