FALCONIB^—MILVINJE: KITES. 523 



mostly 01- entirely reticalato in smaU pattern (with few or no large transverse scutella). The 

 general organization is buteonine ; the scapular process of the coracoid does not meet the 

 clavicle, the septum nasi is incompletely ossified, and the anterior ridge of the palate is little 

 developed if at all ; the superciliary shield is in one or two pieces. The kites form a rather 

 extensive groUp of liawks of no great strengtli ami less than average size, though very active, 

 generally of lithe and graceful shape, with long thin wings and often forked tail. They are 

 '^'ignoble" birds, subsisting upon small game, especially insects and reptiles. In Ferms 

 apivorus, the bee-eating hawk of Europe, the whole head is densely and scjftly feathered to the 

 bill. Tlie group is less homogeneous than the others here presented, and might be, perhaps, 

 dismembered, or merged in Buteonincc. The genei-a assigned differ with nearly every waiter 

 who recognizes the group at all. The type of the group is tlie genus Milvus, near which 

 stands our Elandides (fig. 366), and with which it may not be improper to associate Elanus, 

 Ictinia, and Eostrhamus. 



Analysis of Genera. 



Tail nearly as long as the wings, deeply forked ; head closely feathered Elano'ides 175 



Tall nearly or about even. 



Five outer primaries emarginate on inner webs ; bill and daws extremely slender . . Rostrhanms l"2 



Two outer primaries emarginate ; tarsus scutellate in front Jatinia 173 



— entirely reticulate Elanus 174 



172. ROSTRHA'MUS. (Lat. ros()-!(m, a beak ; 7iaH»M.s, a hook.) Sickle-billed Kites. Bill 

 extremely long and slender, the upper mandible hooked almost into a sickle-shape, the curva- 

 ture also impressed to some extent upon tlie under mandible ; cutting edges entirely witliout 

 tooth or lobe, but simply curved like the culmen ; gonys straight. Cere contracted ; nostrils 

 narrowly oval, horizontal. Loral bristles slight. Space between bill and eye nearly naked 

 and colored, as if a continuation of the cere. Wings long ; 3d and 4th quills longest ; 5th 

 next ; ] st shorter than 6th ; outer 5 emarginate on inner webs. Tail about half as long as the 

 wing, slightly emarginate or nearly even. Feet small ; tarsus feathered about i way down in 

 front, then scutellate, for the rest reticulate ; middle toe and claw ahout as long as tarsus. 

 Inner toe without claw shorter than outer ditto ; inner toe and claw longer than ditto ; no evi- 

 dent webbing between eitlier of them; soles granular, but little tubercnlate. Claws very long 

 and acute, but slender and c<jinparatively little curved ; inner edge of the middle one dilated 

 and jagged. A genus marked by the extreme hooking of the slender biU, otherwise near 

 Elanus; containing two or three species of the warmer parts of America. 



490. K. socia'bilis plum'beus. (Lat. sociabilis, gregarious ; plumbeus, lead-colored.) Ever- 

 glade Kite. Adult (J 9 '■ General color blackisli-plumbeous, blackening on wings and tail. 

 Base of tail, with longer upper coverts anil all under coverts white, increasing in extent on the 

 tail from middle to lateral feathers ; tail also with a pale gray or whitish terminal zone. Bill 

 and claws black ; base of bill, cere and feet bright orange, drying dingy yellow ; iris red. 

 Length 16. 00-18.00; extent about 44.00; wing 13.50-15. . 50 ; tail 6.50-7.50; bill 0.90-1.00 ; 

 tarsus 1.75-2.25 ; middle toe without claw, rather less. Young birds are much v,aricd with 

 brown, yellowish, and white, but the species is unmistakable in any plumage. Florida and 

 the West Indies ; said to be common in the " everglades," and to resemble the marsh hawk in 

 habits ; nest in a bush, eggs commonly two, whitish, in-egnlarly spotted, blotched, or smirched 

 with brown, about 1.72 X 1-45. Compared with the S. Am. B. sociabilis, the Florida bird 

 averages larger, lighter-colored, and weaker-billed. 



173. ICTI'NIA. (Gr. IktTvos, iktinos, 3. kite. Fig. 367.) Lead Kites. Bill rather small, but 

 robust, very deep and wide for its length ; tiji of upper mandible much overlmnging, its cutting 

 edge very prominently lobed, sometimes almost toothed like a falcon's, sometimes irregularly 

 sinuate-serrate ; the nick just in front of the lobe usually perndtting the median ridge of the 

 palate to be visible from the side ; culmen very strongly arched in nearly a quadrant of a circle ; 



