THE MISSISSIPPI KITE. 75 



on the branch. I shot at it, but perhaps did not hit it, as it only opened and. 

 closed its wings, as if surprised. At the report of the gun, the old bird came, 

 holding food in her claws. She perceived me, but alighted, and fed her 

 young with great kindness. I shot at both, and again missed, or at least did 

 not succeed, which might have happened from my having only small shot in 

 my gun. The mother flew in silence, sailed over head just long enough to 

 afford me time to reload, returned, and to my great surprise gently lifted her 

 young, and sailing with it to another tree, about thirty yards distant, deposit- 

 ed it there. My feelings at that moment I cannot express. I wished I had 

 not discovered the poor bird; for who could have witnessed, without emotion, 

 so striking an example of that affection which none but a mother can feel; so 

 daring an act, performed in the midst of smoke, in the presence of a dreaded 

 and dangerous enemy. I followed, however, and brought both to the ground 

 at one shot, so keen is the desire of possession! 



The young had the head of a fawn-colour, but I took little more notice of 

 it, depositing the two birds under a log, whence I intended to remove them 

 on my return, for the purpose of drawing and describing them. I then 

 proceeded on my excursion to a lake a few miles distant. On coming back, 

 what was my mortification, when I found that some quadruped had devoured 

 both! My punishment was merited. 



The Mississippi Kite arrives in Lower Louisiana about the middle of 

 April, in small parties of five or six, and confines itself to the borders of deep 

 woods, or to those near plantations, not far from the shores of the rivers, 

 lakes, or bayous. It never moves into the interior of the country, and in 

 this respect resembles the Falco furcatus. Plantations lately cleared, and 

 yet covered with tall dying girted trees, placed near a creek or bayou, seem 

 to suit it best. 



Its flight is graceful, vigorous, protracted, and often extended to a great 

 height, the Fork-tailed Hawk being the only species that can compete with 

 it. At times it floats in the air, as if motionless, or sails in broad regular 

 circles, when, suddenly closing its wings, it slides along to some distance, 

 and renews its curves. Now it sweeps in deep and long undulations, with 

 the swiftness of an arrow, passing almost within touching distance of a branch 

 on which it has observed a small lizard, or an insect it longs for, but from 

 which it again ascends disappointed. Now it is seen to move in hurried 

 zig-zags, as if pursued by a dangerous enemy, sometimes seeming to turn 

 over and over like a Tumbling Pigeon. Again it is observed flying round 

 the trunk of a tree to secure large insects, sweeping with astonishing velocity. 

 While travelling, it moves in the desultory manner followed by Swallows; 

 but at other times it is seen soaring at a great elevation among the large 

 flocks of Carrion Crows and Turkey-Buzzards, joined by the Fork-tailed 



