68 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ward. It is of rare or casual occurrence in New England and New York, 

 only a few State records being before me: 



Raynor South L. I., 1837. Giraud, Birds of L. I. p. 13 

 South Shore of L. I., 1845. Le Berier, N. O. C. Bui. 6, 126 

 Piermont, Rockland co., Aug. 22, 1900. G. N. Nicholas, Auk 17, 386. 

 In Rensselaer county, near the villages of Pittstown and West Hoosick, 



the male figured on this page was 

 secured July 16, 1886 (see 50th 

 Report N. Y. State Museimi, p. 14; 

 and Auk 3, 484). Relating to this 

 specimen Mr Griffin Haight, who 

 secured it, writes: " I live two miles 

 west of West Hoosick in the tow^n of 

 Pittstown; and two miles from the 

 Hoosick line. I keep a poultry yard 

 and breed fancy fowls. Being troubled 

 with hawks of late I thought I would 

 clean out a few of them and stopped 

 at home on the i6th of July for that 

 purpose. I had succeeded in killing 

 three hawks and had just fired at 

 the fourth one, when I saw this kite 

 rise from the woods back of my house 

 and go perpendicularly up, as near as 

 I could judge, out of sight. He was 

 gone about 20 minutes when I saw 

 him coming down again. I called my wife to the door and asked her if 

 she would like to see a Swallow-tailed kite. She said a kite was no sight 

 to her. I told her it was a bird by that name, and that I never saw one 

 north of Port Royal, S. C. The bird came down and Ht on a dead pine. 

 He sat there a short time. Then he took another upward flight, going 

 straight up out of sight. He was gone just 30 minutes this time and came 



Swallow-tailed kite, Elanoides forficatus (Linnaeus). 

 From specimen in State Museum. J nat. size. 



