FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 197 



east of Louisiana. It migrates in flocks, sometimes flying witliin gun- 

 shot, and at others so far above the earth as to be almost beyond the 

 bounds of vision. 



330. Rostrhamus sociabills ( HeUl). Everolade Kite ; Snail- 

 Hawk. Ad. s . — Dark slate-color ; under, and longer upper tail-ooverts, and 

 base of the tail white, tip of the tail whitish ; upper mandible much length- 

 ened and hooked. S and im. — Upper parts black, tipped with rufous : under 

 parts barred and mottled with rufous, black, and butty ; tail as in the Ad. S . 

 L., 18-00 ; W., 14-00 ; T., 7-V5 ; B., 1-20. 



Mange. — ^Breeds from middle Florida southward to the Argentine Republic. 



iVes*, in bushes, among reeds or tall grasses. Eggs., two to three, pale blu- 

 ish white, heavily spotted, blotched, or washed with cinnamon or chocolate, 

 1-85 X 1-47. 



This species is a summer resident in southern Florida. It arrives 

 from the south in February. Mr. W. B. D. Scott writes of it as ob- 

 served at Lake Panasofkee, Florida : " Their food at this point appar- 

 ently consists of a kind of large, fresh-water snail, which is very abun- 

 dant, and the local name of ' Snail- Hawk ' is particularly applicable 

 to this bird as I have met with it. They fish over the shallow water, 

 reminding one of Gulls in their motions ; and having secured a snail 

 by diving, they immediately carry it to the nearest available perch, 

 where the animal is dexterously taken from the shell without injury 

 to the latter " (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vi, 1881, p. 16). 



331. Circus hudsonius (i>i««.). Maesh Hawk ; Haeriek. Ad.i. — 

 Dpper parts gray or ashy ; upper tail-ooverts white ; tail silvery gray, irregu- 

 larly barred or marked with blackish; upper breast pearl-gray; the lower 

 breast and belly white, spotted or barred with rufous. Ad. 9 . — Upper parts 

 fuscous, the head and neck streaked, and the wing-coverts spotted or margined 

 with rufous ; longer upper tail-coverts white ; middle tail-feathers barred with 

 ashy and black, others barred with oohraceoua-buff and black ; under parts 

 oohraceous-buff, widely streaked on the breast and nai-rowly streaked on the 

 belly with fuscous or light umber. Im. — Similar to the 9 , but somewhat 

 darker above; the under parts darker, almost rufous; the belly without 

 streaks. & L., 1900; W., 13-75; T., 9-00; B. from N., -60. 9 L., 22-00; W., 

 15-00 ; T., 10-00. 



Range. — North America in general, south to Panama. 



Washington, common W. V., July to Apl. Sing Sing, tolerably common 

 S. E., Mch. 6 to Oct. 80 ; a few winter. Cambridge, common T. V., Mch. 15 

 to Apl. 15; Sept. and Oct. ; a few breed. 



Nest., on the ground, in marshes. Eggs.^ four to si.\, dull white or pale 

 bluish white, 1-75 x 1-40. 



This Hawk is essentially a bird of the unwoodeJ country, and we 

 might as well look for a Grouse in the Open marsh as for a Harrier in 

 the thick woods. It flies low, and may be easily identified br the large 



