FALCONID.E — THE FALCONS. 197 



Species and Races. 



Common' Ciiaractehs. Above pearly asli, hccimiing white or wliitisli on the 

 head and tail, with a large black patch covering the lesser-covert region. Lower 

 surface continuous pure white ; a black spot on front of, and partly around, the 

 eye. 



1. E. leucurus. A large black patch on the lining of the wing, in the region 

 of the primary coverts. First quill very much shorter than the third ; 

 second quill longest. 



Black patch on lining of the wing restricted to the primary coverts; 

 lesser coverts, on outer surface, not conspicuously bordered anteriorly 

 with white. 



Above deep bluish-ash, with the inner webs of the secondaries 

 appreciably paler, sometimes abruptly white. Wing, 11. GO - 12.G5 ; 

 tail, 6.80-7.80; culmen, .6.5 -.80; tarsus, 1.20- 1.50; middle toe, 

 .94 - 1.20. Hah. Tropical and subtropical America . var. leucurus. 



Above pale ash, with the inner webs of the secondaries hardly, 



or not at all, appreciably paler than tlie outer. Wing, 11.00- 



12..50; tail, 6.20-7.00; culmen, .70 -.77; tar.sus, 1.10-1.6G; 



middle toe, 1.05- 1.08. Hah. Western Australia . var. axillaris.^ 



Black patch on the lining of the wing extending over the whole of 



the lessor coverts ; lesser coverts, on the outside, conspicuously bordered 



anteriorly with white. 



Similar to var. axillaris, except as above. Wing, 11.75-12.30; 

 tail, 6.30-7.00; culmen, .75 -.80; tarsus, 1.10-1.40; middle toe, 

 1.15-1.25. Hab. Southern Australia . . . var. scrip ttts.' 



2. E. cseruleus. No black on lining of the wing. First quill usually 

 longer than the third, never very much shorter; second longest. Colors 

 darker than in K leucurus. 



Wing, 12.00; tail, 6.10; culmen, .75; tar.su.s, 1.25; middle toe, 1.20. 

 No .ashy tinge on side of breast. JIah. Soulhern Europe and North 

 Africa .......... var. c a; r ulcus .' 



Wing, 9..50- 10.70; tail, 5.40-5.75; culmen, .65 -.70; tarsus, 1.05- 

 1.10; middle toe, 1.00 - 1.10. Sides of the breast strongly tinged with 

 ashy. Hab. Southern Africa and India .... var. minor.* 



' Elaniis leucurus, var. axillaris (Latham). Falco axillaris, Lath. — N. S. Wales, Dr.aw. 

 I. Ko. 49, 1801. Oircus axillaris, Vieill. N. D. IV, 453. Mamis axillaris. Gray, Ann. N. 

 H. XI, 189. — Ib. Hand List, I, 28, No. 261. Elanus notatus, Gould, B. Aust. I, pi. xxiii. 



Specimens examined. — Nat. Mus., 3 ; Boston See, 1. 



^ Elamis leucurus, var. scriptus (Goi'Ld). Elanus scriptus, Gould, P. Z. S. pi. x, 1842, 80. 

 — BoxAP. Consp. 22. — Kaup, Jlonog. Falc. in Jardine's Coutr. Orn. 1850, 60. — Gray, Hand 

 List, I, 28, No. 262. 



Specimens examined. — Mus. Comp. Zobl., Cambridge, 1. 



* Elanus cayrukus, var. cmrideiis (Desfontaines). Faleo cairuleus, Desfoxt. Mem. Ac. So. 

 1787, 503, pi. XV. Elanus cccrulcus, Stuickl. Orn. Syn. I, 1855, 137. Falco melanopterus, 

 Daud. Tr. Oni. II, 1800, 1.52. Elativs melanopteriis. Leach, Zool. Misc. pi. cxxii. — Gould, 

 li. Eur. pi. xxxi. — GiiAY, Hand List, I, 28, No. 258. Falco clamnsus, Shaw, Zotil. VII, 200. 

 Elanus ccesius, Savig. Deser. Kgyp. pt. i, p. 98. Elanoidcs cccsius, Vieill. Enc. -Metli. Ill, 1206. 



Specimens examined. — Nat. Mus., 2 (Southern Europe). 



* Elanus cccrulcus, var. minor (Bonap.). Falco voci/erus. Lath. Iiul. Orn. 1790, 16. ? Falco 

 smininensis. Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp. 1801, 12. Elanus minor, Bon'ap. Consp. 1850, p. 22. — 

 Gray, Hand List, I, 28, No. 259. 



Specimens examined. — Am. Mus., N. V., 4 (2 India, 2 Africa^ ; Boston Soc, 4 (3 Juv.) ; 

 Mus. Comp. Zobl., Cambridge, 2. Total, 10. 



