RED KITE. 267 



outer curved a little outwards at tlje tip, and three inches 

 shorter than the central. The tips of the wings when closed 

 reach to the end of the middle tail-feathers. 



The bill is brownish-black, its base, basal margins, and cere 

 pure yellow ; the superciliary ridge and eyelids dull yellow, 

 the margins of the latter dusky. The iris is pale yellow. The 

 feet of a rich yellow inclining to orange, the claws brownish- 

 black. The general colour of the head and neck is light 

 brownish-yellow, longitudinally streaked with blackish-brown, 

 the tips of the feathers on the head greyish- white ; the an- 

 terior part of the forehead, the cheeks, and the throat greyish- 

 white, streaked with brownish-black. The anterior upper 

 parts of the body are light reddish-brown, each feather with 

 a narrow lanceolate median brownish-black mark. On the 

 scapulars the dark markings are broader. The middle and 

 hind parts of the back are light red, with linear dusky streaks. 

 The alula, primary coverts, and outer five primary quills 

 are deep bluish-black ; the other primaries have the greater 

 part of the" outer web greyish-brown ; and the inner web of all, 

 except the first, is paler, barred with brownish-black, with the 

 marginal portion yellowish-white. The secondary quills are 

 greyish-black, tinged with purple ; their inner webs more or 

 less barred or mottled, and their tips reddish- white ; the inner 

 secondaries similar to the feathers of the back, but with their 

 inner webs barred with dusky. The tail is brownish-red, with 

 dusky shafts, the outer two feathers on each side having the 

 greater part of the outer webs blackish-brown, their inner webs 

 with about twelve faint dusky bars, and most of the other 

 feathers with traces of similar bars. The fore part of the neck, 

 the breast, and the sides are light yellowish- red, each feather 

 with a very narrow, tapering medial dusky streak, and a red- 

 dish-white tip ; the abdominal and tibial feathers, and the 

 lower tail -coverts, much paler, with only the shafts dark brown 

 until near the end. 



Length to end of tail 25 inches ; extent of wings 61 ; wing 

 from flexure 19 ; tail 13g ; bill along the ridge 1/^, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 1 j\ ; tarsus 2 ; first toe | g, its claw 1 ^% ; 

 second toe j^, its claw 1^% ; third toe l/^j, its claw || ; fourth 



