BIEDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 



55 



All the males are year-old birds at the most, as all have blackish- 

 slatey bills. The small female from Dire Daoua is likewise non- 

 adult. 



Swann ^^ described a small race arabicus from southern Arabia, 

 and Somaliland, of which I have seen four from the former locality 

 (Aden Protectorate). It seems quite recognizable, notwithstanding 

 the fact that Sclater ^^ does not grant it subspecific standing. 



The typical form M. migmns migrans is included in the " List of 

 the birds of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan " by Sclater and Praed ^^ on 

 the strength of an example in the British Museum from Kenya 

 Colony. If specimens from south of the Sudan be of any value in 

 establishing the bird on the Sudan list, it may be well to point out 

 that typical migrans has been recorded (three specimens taken) by 

 Loveridge from Sagayo, Tanganyika Territory. On the other hand^ 

 Granvik,^^ records M. migrans aegyptius from Mount Elgon showing 

 how erratic the wanderings of these kites may sometimes be, and con- 

 sequently how unsafe it is to establish the occurrence of a species 

 except by actual specimens. 



Swann ^'^ characterizes parasitus as " * * * less rufous, more 

 cinnamon brown below with indistinct black shaft lines * * *."' 

 A breeding female from Natal, South Africa (H. Friedmann collec- 

 tion) is by far the most richly rufous bird in a series of 69 specimens 

 of Milvus migrans, and has the black shaft streaks very distinct. 



Immature birds generally have the feathers of the breast light 

 tawny or chestnut tawny medially (with a black calamus), the tawny 

 lightening distally forming an apical whitish area on each feather. 

 In the feathers of the abdomen this lighter color is absent along the 

 length of the feathers, but a small whitish terminal spot is present. 

 One bird in the Museum of Comparative Zoology (M.C.Z. 133161, an 



" Synopsis of Accipitres, k]. 2, 1922, p. 153. 



** Syst. Avium Ethiop., 1924, p. 58. 



"«Ibis, 1910, p. 6!)0. 



"Journ. fUr Ornitli., Sonderlieft, 1023, p. 69. 



»* S.vnopsis of Accipitres, rd. 2, 1922, p. 154. 



