210 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



liiiul claw, 1.1(», the too. .90. IJill di-op lilack; ooro and iiakod lorp briglit orango-rcd ; 

 feet dei'[) oranprc-icil. 



Young femiile (('uli.i; Dr. Gundlaoh, Coll. G. N. Lawri'iii'o). Prevailing color above 

 lirownisli-biack. willi a glaneous cast on the dorsal region ; tail deej) black, witii a I'aint 

 gr('<'nish-bn)nze reflection, with white and grayish base and tip, as in llie adnlt. Each 

 Featlier of the upper parts ratiicr broadly tipped with ochraeeons-riil'ons; crown, oceipnt, 

 and auriciilars streaked longitudinally with the same. Prevailing color of the head and 

 lower parts deep ochraceous, on the head forming a broad superciliiiry stripe from the 

 foreheail back to the oi.'cipnt; throat and cheeks streaked longitudinally witli dusky; 

 crissuni immaculate; other lower parts, including lining of the wing, lliickly covered 

 with large transverse spots of brownish-black. Upper tail-coverts white, with a blackish 

 shaft-lino; tail with the basal third white anteriorly and brownish-ashy ne.xt the black, 

 and with a terminal band, about 1,00 wide, of brownish-ashy, ])assing nito white at the 

 tij). Under surliice of primaries cream-color anterior to the emargination, towards the 

 ends grayish, with transverse spots of dusky. Wing-fonnula, 4, .'3 = .')-2 - (i - 7, 1. 

 Wing, 13.90; tail, 8.25; tarsus, 1.90; middle toe, ].");'). 



An older s|)ecinieu in young plumage (11. 7")5, Florida) dillers aslbllnus; The colors 

 generally are lighter, the ochraceous being more i)revalent and lighter in tint; the throat 

 is immaculate, and the markings beneath more longitudinal. The .secondaries and prima- 

 ries arc broadly tipped with ochraceous. Wing, 14.00; tail, 7.20; tarsus, 1.95; middle 

 toe, 1.5(1. 



Hab. West Indies and Southern Florida. 



LIST OF SPECIMENS EX.\MINED. 



National Mnseuni, 3 ; Coll. C. J. Maynard, 7 ; Philadelphia Academy, 2 ; Museum 

 Coinp. Zoiil., 3: Coll. R. Ridgway, 1. Total, IC. 



Habits. The Black Kite is a Central and Soutii American species, well 

 known in that section, but haviiij,' no other claim to be regarded as a bird of 

 Xorth America than its presence in a restricted portion of Florida, where it 

 is, in the extreme soiitheni section, not very uncommon, and where it is 

 also known to breed. It was first taken in that peninsula by Mr. Edward 

 Harris, tind subsequently by Dr. Heermann. It was supposed by j\Ir. Har- 

 ris to breed in Florida, from his meeting with young birds ; and this suppo- 

 sition has been confirmed by Mr. Maynard, who has since found them nest- 

 ing, and procured their eggs. 



Mr. Siilvin met with what he presumed to be this species in Central 

 America, ascribing the immense flights of Hawks seen by him in the month 

 of March, hi the Pacific Coast region, migrating in a northwesterly direction, 

 to this Kite. The l)ird was well known to the Spaniards under the name of 

 Asaniani, — a term that has become proverbial for a person who is con- 

 stantly wandering from place to plp.ce. Mr. Leyland obtained a single 

 s]iecimei) of the Rostrhamm near the Lake of Peten. In the spring of 

 1870, Mr. Mixyntird met with several individuals of this species among the 

 Florida everglades. He first observed one on February 18, but was not 

 able to secure it. Visiting the same spot ten days hiter, with Mr. Ilenshaw, 

 three birds of this species were shot, and the nest of one was discn\ered. It 

 was at that time only partly completed, was small, flat, and composed of 



