FALCONID^ — MILVINjE: KITES. 
523 
mostly or entirely reticulate in small pattern (with few or no large transverse scutella). The 
general organization is buteonine ; the scapular process of the coracoid does not meet the 
clavicle, the septum nasi is incompletely ossified, and the anterior ridge of the palate is little 
developed if at all ; the superciliary shield is in one or two pieces. The kites form a rather 
extensive group of hawks of no great strength and less than average size, though very active, 
generally of lithe and graceful shape, with long thin wings and often forked tail. They are 
^'ignoble" birds, subsisting upon small game, especially insects and reptiles. In Pernis 
apivorus, the bee-eating hawk of Europe, the whole head is densely and softly feathered to the 
bill. The group is less homogeneous than the others here presented, and might be, perhaps, 
dismembered, or merged in Buteonincc. The genera assigned differ with nearly every w-riter 
who recognizes the group at all. The type of the group is the genus Milvus, near which 
stands our Elanoides (fig. 366), and with which it may not be improper to associate Elanus, 
Ictinia, and Bostrhamus. 
Analysis of Genera. 
Tail nearly as long as the wings, deeply forked ; head closely feathered Elanoides 175 
Tail nearly or about even. 
Five outer primaries emarginate on inner webs ; bill and claws extremely slender . . Rostrhamus 112 
Two outer primaries emarginate; tarsus scutellate in front Ictinia 
— entirely reticulate Elanus 174 
172. ROSTRHA'MUS. (Lat. ros^n^m, a beak ; /iamt^s, a hook.) Sickle-billed Kites. Bill 
extremely long and slender, the upper mandible hooked almost into a sickle-shape, the curva- 
ture also impressed to some extent upon the under mandible ; cutting edges entirely witliout 
tooth or lobe, but simply curved like the culmen ; gonys straight. Cere contracted ; nostrils 
narrowly oval, horizontal. Loral bristles slight. Space between bill and eye nearly naked 
and colored, as if a continuation of the cere. Wings long ; 3d and 4th quills longest ; 5th 
next ) 1st shorter than 6th; outer 5 emarginate on inner webs. Tail about half as long as the 
wing, slightly emarginate or nearly even. Feet small ; tarsus feathered about i way down in 
front, then scutellate, for the rest reticulate ; middle toe and claw about as long as tarsus. 
Inner toe without claw shorter than outer ditto ; inner toe and claw longer than ditto no evi- 
dent webbing between either of them ; soles granular, but little tuberculate. Claw's very long 
and acute, but slender and comparatively little curved ; inner edge of the middle one dilated 
and jagged. A genus marked by the extreme hooking of the slender bill, otherwise near 
Elanus; containing two or three species of the warmer parts of America. 
490. R. socia'bilis plum'beus. (Lat. sociabilis, gregarious ; plmiibeus, lead-colored.) Ever- 
glade Kite. Adult $ 9 - General color blackish-plumbeous, blackening on wings and tail. 
Base of tail, with longer upper coverts and all under coverts white, increasing in extent on the 
tail from middle to lateral feathers ) tail also with a pale gray or whitish terminal zone. Bill 
and claws black ; base of bill, cere and feet bright orange, drying dingy yellow ; iris red. 
Length 16.00-18.00; extent about 44.00; wing 13.50-15.50 ; tail 6.50-7-50; bill 0.90-1.00 ; 
tarsus 1.75-2.25 ; middle toe without claw, rather less. Young birds are much varied with 
browai, yellowish, and w^iite, but the species is unmistakable in any plumage. Florida and 
the West Indies ; said to be common in the ^' everglades," and to resemble the marsh hawk in 
habits; nest in a bush, eggs commonly two, w^hitish, irregularly spotted, blotched, or smirched 
with brown, about 1.72 X 1-45. Compared with the S. Am. B. sociabilis, the Florida bird 
averages larger, lighter-colored, and weaker-billed. 
173. ICTI'NIA. (Grr. Ikt'ivo9, iktinos, a, kite. Fig. 367.) Lead Kites. Bill rather small, but 
robust, very deep and \A-ide for its length ; tip of upper mandible much overhanging, its cutting 
edge very prominently lobed, sometimes almost toothed like a ftilcon's, sometimes irregularly 
sinuate -serrate ; the nick just in front of the lobe usually permitting the median ridge of the 
palate to be visible from the side ; culmen very strongly arched in nearly a quadrant of a circle ; 
