82 BULLETIN 5 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Chondrohierax and may be told easily by their having the maxillary 

 tomium unindented. 



Genus ELANOIDES Vieillot 



Elanoides^^ Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., xxiv, 1818, 101. (Type, by mono- 

 typy, "Les Milans de la Caroline et du Paraguiiy" — Falco forficatus Lin- 

 naeus.) 



Elasas^* Heine, in Heine and Reichenow, Nom. Mus. Hein. Orn., 1890, 263. 

 (New name for Elanoides Vieillot, rejected on grounds of purism.) 



Long-winged, long-tailed ''kites" with tail very deeply forked, the 

 head, neck, and underparts immaculate white, back, wings, and tail 

 blackish. 



Bill relatively small and narrow (intermediate in general form 

 between that of Pandion and that of Elanus), compressed anteriorly, 

 very broad basally, the maxillary unguis moderately produced; 

 maxillary tomium faintly to rather distinctly convex at about or 

 slightly posterior to middle portion, the mandibular tomium strongly 

 convex throughout; gonys nearly straight; cere slightly ascending 

 basally, its anterior lateral outline forming a nearly straight oblique 

 line; nostril obliquely oval. Wing very long, narrow, and pointed, 

 the longest primary exceeding distal secondary by more than half the 

 length of wing; third, or second and third, primaries longest, the first 

 intermediate between the fourth and fifth; inner web of fii'st and sec- 

 ond (only) obliquely emarginated. Tail about four-fifths as long as 

 wing, very deeply forked (the lateral pair of rcctrices more than twice 

 as long as middle pair), the rectrices gradually narrowed (tapering) 

 distally, their tips narrowly rounded. Tarsus about one-eleventh as 

 long as wing, relatively stout, the upper half (approximately) feath- 

 ered, except on plantar tarsi, the remainder covered with irregular 

 hexagonal scales; middle toe (about five-sixths as long as tarsus); 

 lateral toe about equal in length, extending to near middle of third 

 phalanx of middle toe; hallux slightly but decidedly shorter than lateral 

 toes, its claw about as long as the digit; no web between basal pha- 

 langes of outer and middle toes; upper surface of toe with transverse 

 scutella nearly to base; claws relatively rather short (except that of 

 hallux), rather stout, abruptly flattened beneath, with edges very 

 sharp, that of inner toe somewhat bent laterally, its projecting inner 

 edge very convex, sharp, and entire. 



Plumage and coloration. — Plumage rather full and compact, blended; 

 loral region densely feathered, the feathers with bristly tips; plumage 

 of thighs elongated, the tips of longer feathers reaching to base of 



" l\ayo^, milvus; etSdf forma (Vieillot). 

 " 'EXaffof, an unknown bird (Richmond). 



