THE EVERGLADE KITE. 181 



about a foot in diameter. It was composed of sticks, carelessly arranged, lined 

 with a few dry heads of saw grass, and contained one egg. Upon dissect- 

 ing the female, which was shot at the same time, another egg was found just 

 ready to be laid; this was unspotted, and of a blue color throughout. Several 

 sets of these eggs were brought to him subsequently by Seminole Indians. 1 



Mr. E. W. Montreuil, in a letter published by Mr. H. B. Bailey, describes 

 the breeding habits of this species as follows: "This bird (Rostrhamus socia- 

 bilis) is found in numbers in the Everglades of Florida, especially on the 

 east side. They lay their eggs early in March, but some pairs later than others, 

 as the set you have were taken March 16, and were fresh, while all the other 

 nests had young in them. When they breed a male and female are by them- 

 selves, always near a small island, which they make their rendezvous, and 

 while resting on a branch they can have an eye on their nest for enemies, 

 especially Crows, who rob their nests whenever they can. Around some of 

 the islands there are several pairs of Rostrhamus, but they always place their 

 nests a few acres apart from each other. * * * They built their nests 

 with dry branches and grasses, attached to saw grasses about 12 inches 

 below the tops, just so as to be out of sight. They measure about 12 inches 

 in diameter and 6 inches high, and the cavity is about 3 inches deep. They 

 lay two or three eggs. The old birds usually bring their throats full of 

 the animals of the Everglade shells, but sometimes they bring the animal in 

 the shell, as many of the nests contained a lot of these shells. While they 

 have young they are not wild, flying over one's head when near the nest." 2 



Mr. J. F. Menge, who found the Everglade Kite nesting near Meyers, 

 Florida, writes me. "They generally lay but two eggs, commencing to nest 

 as early as March 1, and up to the end of April. Their favorite nesting sites 

 are swamps, overgrown with low willow bushes, the nests usually being placed 

 about 4 feet from the ground. They frequent the borders of open ponds and 

 feed their young entirely on snails. According to my observations the female 

 does not assist in the building of the nest. I have watched these birds for 

 hours. She sits in the immediate vicinity of the nest and watches while the 

 male builds it. The male will bring a few twigs and alternate this work at the 

 same time by supplying his mate with snails, until the structure is completed. 

 They feed and care for their young longer than any other birds I know of, 

 until you can scarcely distinguish them from adults." 



A nest of this species now before me, taken by Mr. Menge, and kindly 

 forwarded, measures 16 by 13 inches in diameter, and is about 8 inches thick. 

 It is not an artistic looking structure, but rather carelessly put together. The 

 base consists of dry willow twigs, some of them half an inch in diameter; the 

 greater portion are, however, smaller. The inner cavity is about 7 inches wide 

 by \\ inches deep. This is lined with small stems of a vine and a few wil- 

 low leaves. The latter look as if the twigs, to which some of them are still 



1 Birds of Florida and Eastern North America, 1881, pp. 284-290. 

 » Auk, Vol. I, 1884, p. 95. 



