KITES AND HAWKS. 37 



Arkansas in 1910. In 1884 it was reported to breed at Newport and 

 in 1890 in Little River County, and doubtless at that time was 

 fairly numerous in the lowlands of the State, nesting chiefly in the 

 cypress swamps. At present this interesting and useful species must 

 be extremely rare. Its food consists largely of snakes and other 

 reptiles, beetles, grasshoppers, cotton worms, and small frogs. 



Mississippi Kite. Ictinia mississippiensis. 



This species occurs as a summer resident in the Mississippi Valley 

 as far north as southern Illinois. Widmann considers it common 

 in southeastern Missouri and, although it has been reported from 

 Arkansas only a few times, it probably occurs locally in the eastern 

 part of the State. Mr. S. C. Dowell, of Walnut Ridge, has in his 

 possession a mounted specimen of this bird taken near that town. 

 In 1884 the species was reported as breeding at Newport. This 

 bird, like the swallow-tailed kite, subsists largely on insects, small 

 snakes, and frogs. 



Marsh Hawk. Circus hudsonius. 



One of the best-known hawks in the United States, this species is 

 easily recognized as it flies low over the fields and marshes, by the 

 conspicuous white patch at the base of its long tail. It is a com- 

 mon migrant and winter resident and may occur rarely as a breeder. 

 It was reported to breed at Newport in 1884, and was seen in migra- 

 tion at Fayetteville September 28 (1892). At Delight, Mr. Savage 

 noted it frequently during the winter. Study of its food habits has 

 shown it to be a beneficial species, feeding chiefly upon meadow 

 mice and other small rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes, insects, and, to 

 some extent, on small ground-dwelling birds. It occasionally preys 

 upon dead and wounded ducks and other game birds left by hunters, 

 but seldom chases birds on the wing. 1 Unfortunately it is not very 

 suspicious, and thus often falls prey to the thoughtless sportsman, 

 who shoots all hawks on sight on the theory that they kill chickens 

 and game birds. 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter velox. 



This little hawk is widely distributed in the United States, but is 

 not usually common in Arkansas, although it may at times be plenti- 

 ful in migration. It was reported as a rare breeder at Clinton in 

 1890, arriving from the south on April 6, and has been reported to 

 breed also at Newport. Its fall migration is performed chiefly in 

 September and October. Several were seen by Preble at Fort 

 Smith September 15 to 23 and at Fayetteville September 24 to 

 October 1; Savage noted the first in fall at Delight on September 22 

 and by October 20 they had become common. They remained 



i Fisher, A. K., Bull. 3, Div. Orn. and Mamm., pp. 26-28, 1893. 



