KITE 



491 



authors that in Great Britain the Kite was resident throughout the 

 year ; whereas on the Continent it is one of the most regular and 

 marked migrants, stretching its wings toward the south in autumn, 

 wintering in Africa, and returning in spring to the land of its 

 birth. 



There is a second European species, not distantly related, the 

 Milvus migrans or M. ater of most authors, ^ smaller in size, with a 

 general dull blackish -])rown plumage and a less forked tail. In 

 some districts this is much commoner than the red Kite, and on 

 one occasion it has appeared in England. Its habits are very like 

 those of the species already described, but it seems to be more 

 addicted to fishing. Nearly allied to this Black Kite are the M. 

 mjijptius of Africa, the BL govinda (the Pariah Kite of India), the 

 M. melanotis of Eastern Asia, and the M. affiuis and M. isurus ; the 

 last is by some authors removed to another genus or subgenus as 

 Lophoidinia, and is peculiar to Australia, while M. affinis also occurs 

 in Ceylon, Burma and some of the Malay countries as well. All 

 these may be considered true Kites, while those next to be mentioned 

 are more aberrant forms. First there is Haliastnr containing the 

 well-known Brahminy Kite of Anglo-Indians, H. indus, which the 

 late Mr. Gurney retained in this group, though it seems to be rather a 



Haliastur. 



(After Swainson.) 



Elanoides. 



fishing Eagle. Less doubtful is the place of Elamis, the type of which 

 is E. cxrideiis, a beautiful little bird, the Black-winged Kite of English 

 authors, that comes to the south of Europe from Africa, and has 

 several congeners — E. axillaris and E. scriptus of Australia being 

 most worthy of notice. An extreme development of this form is 

 found in the African Nauclerus ?iocouri, as well as in Elanoides furcatus, 

 the Swallow -tailed Kite, a widely -ranging bird in America, and 

 remarkable for its length of wing and tail, which gives it a marvel- 

 lous power of flight, and serves to explain the unquestionable fact 

 of its having twice appeared in Great Britain. To Elanus also 

 Idinia, another American form, is allied, though perhaps mere 



1 Dr. Sharpe (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 322) calls it M. korschun ; but the 

 figure of S. G. Gmelin's Accipikr korschuv, whence the name is taken, unquestion- 

 ably represents the Moor-Buzzaed, Circus seruginosus. 



