92 
BIRDS OP PREY, 
MISSISSIPPI KITE. 
(Falco plumb eus, Gmelin. Bonap. Annal. Lyc. p. 30. Falco Mis- 
sis sippiensis, Wilson. Am. Orn. iii. p. 80. pi. 25. fig. 1. [adult 
male] . ) 
Spec. Charact. — Blackish-ash; head, neck, and beneath whitish- 
ash color ; the tail and cere black ; feet and irids bright red. — 
Young , bluish-black ; head and beneath whitish, spotted with 
bluish-brown ; the tail with 3 white bands beneath ; the cere yel- 
lowish. 
This remarkably long-winged and beautiful Hawk 
does not appear to extend its migrations far within the 
United States. Wilson observed it rather plentiful about, 
and below Natchez, in the summer season, sailing in 
easy circles, sometimes at a great elevation, so as to keep 
company occasionally with the Turkey-Buzzards in the 
most elevated regions of the air : at other times they 
were seen among the lofty forest trees, like Swallows 
sweeping along, and collecting the locusts ( Cicaclce ) 
which swarmed at this season. My friend Mr. Say ob- 
served this species pretty far up the Mississippi, at one 
of Major Long’s cantonments. But, except on the banks 
of this great river, they are rarely seen even in the most 
southern states. Their food, no doubt, abounds more 
along the immense valley of the Mississippi than in the 
interior regions, and, besides large insects, probably 
often consists of small birds, lizards, snakes, and other 
reptiles, which swarm in these their favorite resorts. 
On the failure of their food, they migrate by degrees 
into the Mexican and Souih-American provinces ; and 
were observed by De Azara in Guiana, about the latitude 
of 7 degrees. Of the nest, and other habits of this uncom- 
mon bird, we are yet entirely ignorant. It is very prob- 
able, that like the Kite it builds in lofty trees. From 
the very narrow limits within which this bird inhabits 
