202 



NORTir AMLRICAX UIllDS. 



Ilioiinli iiowliorn very distinctly nppiirciit, iii>ii('iirfl to Im of a dull whitt-, 

 stroii,uly tiii^i'il with a ivcldisli Iiuk. Distriliiitfd over tlio entire eu'U are 

 l)road deep llaHlies of a darl. nialio;;any-l)rn\vn, intermingled witii oIIkms of a 

 .similar eolor, lait li,L;liter in siiading. These eover the v<x'^ more or less e.om- 

 |ilelc!y, in the ureatcr portion of its snri'aee. This ei^i^- was taken near Fort 

 Arhiirkio, Indian Territory, May •), I8(il, hy ,1. If. Clark, Ks(i., and sent to 

 till' Smitlisoiiiau Institution. 



Genus ICTINIA, Vikii.i.ot. 



Irlliiin, Vii;n.i„ l.Sl(i. {Ty\\c, Fiihv iiii.ssi.s.iijij)i( ii.sis, \Vo..siin.) 

 .X.i/iis, limi;, l.siid. i'I'y|M', /''i/m plHuihcn, (Imklin.) 

 /'nri/„j)/,:i'!/.i; Kait, 1841. (Siiiue tyix'.) 



fii:\. Cii.M!. Fnriu I'ali'dii-likc; tlii' neck short, \\wj:< loiif,', anil pointpil, the primaries 

 .•lu.l rcclriccs .<lroii- and slilV, and the orfranizalion rol.usl. liill sli.irt and di-cp, llic coni- 

 niissurc im'u:Mlarly lontljiMl, and nutdicd ; jjonys vimt (.•onvi'x, ascondin.i;- ti'rminallv ; clm'u 

 n.-irniw; nnsiril vm- small, ncarU cireuiar; H'ct .•<mall, Imt rolmsl ; tarsns almni (■(|nal to 



..^^ - 



-^-o 



33U74 



32874, ^ 



middle toe, with a distinct frontal .scries of broad transverse scntelhe ; claw.s rather .short, 

 liut strongly (Mn-vod. slightly grooved beneath, their edges sharp. Third qnill longest; 

 lirst of vai-ialile proportion with the rest. Tail moderate, the feathor.s wide, broader 

 terniiiiidlv, and emargiiialed. 



This oenus is jieculiar to Ainorica, the two most closely related genera 

 heiiig J'J/,i,iiis on tiu; one hand and //Kr/Wffiin on the other. Its species he- 

 long to the tropical and sul)tropical regions, one of them (/. plumhca) gener- 

 ally distrihiited throughout the intertrojjical portion,?, the other (/. mississip- 

 pinixi.s) peculiar to Mexico and the southern United States. 



In their luihits, they are very aerial, like the genus NauclcDi^, sailing for 

 the greater time in broad circles overhead, occasionally performing graceful 

 evolutions as they gyrate about. Like Nandfrva, they are also partially 

 gregarious, and, like it, feed chieHy on insects and small reptiles, which they 

 eat while flying. 



Species. 



Common- ('n.u!.\eTi:i!s. AiJnJf. Uniform pinnilieons, beeoming lighter (whitish) 

 on the head, ami darker (blackish) on the primaries and tail. Inner webs of 



