ELANUS. 379 



Genus ELANUS, Savigny, 1810. 



Bill small, wide at the base, compressed towards the eud ; 

 culmen curved sharply from the cere ; festoou distinct ; 

 nostrils oval, nearly horizontal, protected by long loral bristles. 

 "Wings long and pointed, exceeding the tail when closed; 2nd 

 quill longest; tail moderately long, square at the end. Tarsi 

 short and stout, feathered in front for more than half their length ; 

 naked parts reticulated throughout. Toes strong, reticulated above, 

 except close to the claws, lateral toes subequal in length ; middle 

 claw keeled, the others rounded beneath. 



This is a genus of small birds allied to the Kites and comprising 

 five species, distributed throughout the tropics and subtropical 

 countries of the world. One species is Indian. 



1232. Elanus cseruleus. The Black-ivinged Kite. 



Falco Cifiruleus, Desf. Mem. Acncl. Sc. 1787, p. 503, pi. 15. 



Falco melanopterus, Daud. Traite, ii, p. 152 (1800). 



Elanus melanopterus, Jerdon, Madr. Jour. L. S. x, p. 71 ; Blyth, Cat, 

 p. 18 ; Horsf. ^- M. Cat. i, p. 28 ; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 112 ; Hume, 

 Rouqh Notes, p. 338; id. S. F. i, pp. 21, 168; id. N. ^ E. p. 56 : 

 A. Anderson, F. Z. S. 1872, p. 80 ; Adam, S. F. i, p. 369; Butler, 

 S. F. ill, p. 449 ; Blyth ^ Wald, Birds Burm. p. 60 ; Htime, S. I. 

 iv, p. 462 ; Inglis, S. F. v, p. 16. 



Elanus cferuleus, Strickland, Orn. Syn. p. 137; Sharpe, Cat. B.M. 

 i, p. 336 ; I£u?ne Sf Dav. S. F. vi, p. 26 ; Ball, S. F. vii, p. 200 ; 

 Cripps, ibid. p. 252 ; Hume, Cat. no. 59 ; Davidson, S. F. vni, p. 415 : 

 X, p. 290 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 85 ; Butler, S. F. ix, p. 375 ; Retd, 

 S F. X, p. 13 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 205 ; id. in Hu7ne's N. ^- F. 

 2nd ed. iii, p. 177 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 17 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. 

 p. 59 ; id. Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. iii, p. 219 ; St. John, Ibis, 1889^ 

 p. 154. 

 Kapassi, H. ; Masuima, in Oude ; Chamva, Nepal. ; Adavi Ramadasu,. 

 Tel. ; Argellur, Yerkli ; Ukussa, Cing. 



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Fig. 94. — Head of ^. cceruleus, \. 



Coloration, Adult. Forehead, anterior lores, a streak over the 

 eye, sides of the head, the M'hole of the lower parts, and all tail- 

 feathers, except the middle pair and the outer webs of the next two 

 pairs, white ; upper parts light ashy grey, the tail-feathers paler; 

 median and smaller upper wing-coverts, a narrow supercilium,, 



