110 MISSISSIPPI KITE.
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, seemed to suit it best.
Its flight is graceful, vigorous, protracted, and often extended to a
great height, the Forked-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 Forked-tailed Hawk, dashing at the
former, and giving them chase, as if in play, until these cowardly scavengers
sweep downwards, abandoning this to them disagreeable sport
to the Hawks, who now continue to gambol undisturbed. When in
pursuit of a large insect or a small reptile, it turns its body sidewise,
throws out its legs, expands its talons, and generally seizes its prey in an
instant. It feeds while on wing, apparently with as much ease and comfort,
as when alighted on the branch of a tall tree. It never alights on
the earth; at least I have never seen it do so, except when wounded, and
then it appears extremely awkward. It never attacks birds or quadrupeds
of any kind, with the view of destroying them for food, although it
will chase a fox to a considerable distance, screaming loudly all the while,
and soon forces a Crow to retreat to the woods.
The nest of this species is always placed in the upper branches of the
tallest trees. I thought it gave the preference to those tall and splendid
MISSISSIPPI KITE. I l l
magnolias and white oaks, which adorn our Southern States. The nest resembles
that of the dilapidated tenement of the Common American Crow,
and is formed of sticks slightly put together, along with branches of Spanish
moss (Usnea), pieces of vine bark, and dried leaves. The eggs are
two or three, almost globular, of a light greenish tint, blotched thickly over
with deep chocolate-brown and black. Only one brood is raised in the
season, and I think the female sits more than half the time necessary for
incubation. The young I also think obtain nearly the full plumage of
the old bird before they depart from us, as I have examined these birds
early in August, when the migration was already begun, without observing
much difference in their general colour, except only in the want of
firmness in the tint of the young ones.
Once, early in" the month of May, I found a nest of this bird placed on
a fine tall white oak near a creek, and observed that the female was sitting
with unceasing assiduity. The male I saw bring her food frequently.
Not being able to ascend the tree, I hired a Negro, who had
been a sailor for some years, to climb it and bring down the eggs or young.
This he did by first mounting another tree, the branches of which crossed
the lower ones of the oak. No sooner had he reached the trunk of the
tree on which the nest was placed, than the male was seen hovering about
and over it in evident displeasure, screaming and sweeping towards the
intruder the higher he advanced. When he attained the branch on which
the nest was, the female left her charge, and the pair, infuriated at his
daring, flew with such velocity, and passed so close to him, that I expected
every moment to see him struck by them. The black tar, however,
proceeded quietly, reached the nest, and took out the eggs, apprising
me that there were three. I requested him to bring them down
with care, and to throw off the nest, which he did. The poor birds, seeing
their tenement cast down to the ground, continued sweeping around
us so low and so long, that I could not resist the temptation thus offered
of shooting them.
The Mississippi Kite is by no means a shy bird, and one may generally
depend on getting near it when alighted; but to follow it while on
wing were useless, its flight being usually so elevated, and its sweeps over
a field or wood so rapid and varied, that you might spend many hours in
vain in attempting to get up with it. Even when alighted, it perches so
high, that I have sometimes shot at it, without producing any other effect
than that of causing it to open its wings and close them again, as if utterly