BIRDS OF PREY 



139 



on the wing, they have a steadiness of flight unlike the 

 bullet-like dash of some of the hawks, and more closdy 

 resembling the flight of the gulls. 

 Their call is a high-keyed whistle, 

 which falls three tones in a plaintive 

 minor key. Besides this, they utter a 

 sharp, short squeak when darting down 

 to seize their prey. Aside from the fact 

 of his beauty and grace, the food of 

 the White-tail is such as to ^^"^ 



render him beneficial to farmers, ^*^^ 

 and he should be protected by 

 law fully as much as the game 

 and song birds. Lizards, frogs, 

 snakes, grasshoppers, and ««c#"/ 



beetles are his bill of fare, and 

 these he consumes in great num- 

 bers. Small birds do not fear 

 him as they do the bird-eating 

 species, and this alone is proof that he does not molest 

 them. 



328. White-tailed Kite. 

 " Preyvng upon ihe field muie." 



331. MARSH HAWK. — Circus hudsonius. 

 Family : The Falcons, Hawks, Eagles, etc. 



Length: 19.50-24.00. 



jidiUt Male : Slate-color streaked with white ; under parts and rump 



pure white ; breast and sides lightly speckled with reddish brown ; 



tail with alternate bands of brown and black, six or seven in number ; 



tips of wings black. 

 Adult Feinale, mid Young : Rusty, more or less streaked with black. 

 Downy Young : Rusty buff above, more or less washed with gray, and 



merging to whitish on lower parts. 



