i IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



beast. This service is so important in some states that the bird has justly been 

 protected by law. The argument has sometimes been brought against it that 

 this bird will eat animals which have died of some disease, as hog cholera, and 

 communicate it to pastures or pens containing healthy animals, and in this way 

 sometimes spread the disease throughout a large community. This argument 

 is not well substantiated, however, and indeed it is doubted whether the di- 

 sease in question is really infectious. On account of its weak beak and talons 

 this vulture can rarely secure live prey. Its food consists of any dead mam- 

 mals or fish, eaten when fresh preferably, but when decomposed in cases where 

 the animal's skin is too thick to be torn open when fresh. In very rare in- 

 stances this bird has been known to kill and eat small lambs. The Turkey 

 Vulture may be classed as common in Iowa. 



(2)-Ela7ioicles forflcatus. SWALLOW- TAILED KITE. 



This kite can scarcely be said to be common in Iowa, but occasional pairs 

 ascend the Mississippi each spring and nest in the state during the months of 

 May and June. It is doubtful whether this species ever kills a bird of any 

 kind, but on the contrary it seems to be perfectly harmless and beneficial. 

 Its food consists principally of various kinds of reptiles, beetles, grass- hoppers, 

 crickets, small frogs, worms, lizards and tree toads. 



(3)—lGtinia inississippiensis. MISSISSIPPI KITE. 



The distribution of this bird is very irregular outside of the Southern Mis- 

 sissippi region and the Gulf States. It may be accounted only as casual or ir- 

 regular to Iowa. Like the Swallow-tailed species, its food consists of insects, 

 small snakes, Uzards and small rodents. It is not known to destroy birds, at 

 least not habitually. 



(4)— Circus hiidsonius. MARSH HAWK. 



The Marsh Hawk or Hen Warrior so called, is a common summer resi- 

 dent in Iowa, breeding on the ground in meadow or timber lands during 

 May and June. The bird has been thought to be destructive to wild birds and 

 the farmers' fowls, but observation does not show this supposition to be 

 generally true. It passes most of its time in the fields and low timber, watch- 

 ing for food gophers, meadow mice, ground squin-els, and other small rodents, 

 locusts, grass-hoppers, frogs and in some localities the large destructive 

 crickets (,dna bus siinplex). From an economic standpoint this species 

 is certainly beneficial, and instead of persecution should have protection, 



(6)—AccipUer velox. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 



This little hawk is a fairly common and regular summer resident in Iowa, 

 and is one of the species which must be considered as doing more harm than 

 good. It seldom eats small rodents and insects, but on the contrary it hves 

 mostly on small birds, sometimes, however, destroying birds as large as itself 

 such as pigeons, Bob Wliites, mourning doves, robins, etc. It is said not to 

 hesitate to help itself to young chickens whenever it can find any. 



