ELANOIDES.—ELANUS. 97 
to the Kite’s mouth while the latter were in full flight. The native hunter expressed 
surprise at seeing so many of these birds together, as they are usually found near 
Coban in pairs, or at most in parties of three or four, 
The nest is composed of twigs and moss, generally built in a tree at a great height. 
The eggs are ashy-white or cream-colour, beautifully spotted and blotched with brown 
and rufous ; they are usually two in number, but occasionally three or four. 
ELANUS. 
Elanus, Savigny, Syst. Ois. d’Egypte, p. 274 (1809) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 386 (1874). 
Although the genus Elanus is found in every temperate and subtropical region of 
the globe, only one of the five species known is American, and this inhabits the 
Southern United States, Central America, and the greater part of South America. 
The species are all similar in colour, being of a clear grey, with a black patch on 
the wing-coverts, whence the common name of ‘‘ Black-shouldered Kites.” ‘They 
have a short rounded tail, the wings reaching to the tip, and the tarsus naked in 
front and covered with minute roundish scales, but differ from E/anoides in the claws 
not being grooved beneath (cf. Ridgway, Man. N. Am. Birds, 2nd edit. p. 222). The 
palate, according to Dr. Shufeldt (Ibis, 1891, p. 230), is unlike that of other Accipitrine 
birds, being non-desmognathous, ‘‘as its maxillo-palatines neither unite across the 
middle line nor come in contact either with the vomer or with the nasal septum.” 
1. Elanus leucurus. 
Alcon blanco, Azara, Apunt. i. p. 165°. 
Milvus leucurus, Vieill. N. Dict. d’ Hist. Nat. xx. p. 563 *. 
Elanus leucurus, Cassin, Birds Calif. & Texas, p. 106°; Sel. P.Z.S. 1857, p. 201*; Scl. & Salv. 
Ibis, 1859, p. 220°; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p.339 °; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 2377; 
Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. Birds, p. 173, pl. v. ff. 8, 4°; Fisher, Bull. U. 8. Dep. Agr. 
no. 3, p. 23°; A. O. U. Check-i. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 126°. 
Supra griseus, fronte et corpore toto subtus albis; tectricibus alarum minoribus et mediis nigris; subalaribus 
albis, plaga magna nigra; cauda medialiter pallide grisea; rectricibus lateralibus albis: rostro nigra, 
cera et pedibus flavis. Long. tota circa 14-5, ale 12:0, caude 7:0, tarsi 1:3. (Descr. exempl. ex Orizaba, 
Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 
Juv. Supra brunneus, plumis rufo vel albido marginatis; rectricibus subterminaliter schistaceo nigro trans- 
fasciatis: subtus albus, rufo lavatus et fusco striatus. (Descr. exempl. ex Buenos Ayres. Mus. Brit.) 
Hab, Nortu America, Southern United States from South Carolina and Southern 
Illinois to Texas and California 1°.—Mexico, Jalapa (Sallé +), Orizaba (Sumichrast *; 
F. D. G.), Mirador (Sumichrast’); Guatemata (Skinner °).—SoutH AMERICA 
generally, from Venezuela and Guiana to Patagonia and Chile °. 
The breeding-range of this Kite, so far as is known, is confined to South Carolina, 
Florida, the Indian Territory, Texas, and the southern portions of California; though 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. LIL., January 1901. 13 
