268 



MILVUS. KITE. 



Bill shorter than the head, wide at the base, deep 

 aud much compressed towards the end, strong, with a 

 curved acute tip ; upper mandible with the cere large, 

 the dorsal outiitie ylightly cojivtjx, und sloping a little 

 to the end of the cere, hcyond which it js ciiryed t'C x^ 

 to form the fourth of a circle, the ridge at the ha;^.- 

 broad and rather flattened, towards the end narrow hut 

 convex, the sides sloping rapidly and nearly flat, tbe 

 edges overlapping, with' a festoon beyoitd the middle, 

 the tip deflected, riearly flat beneath, tapering, rather 

 bkmt, ity lower p«ir ;iearly perpendicular ; lower iuau- 

 (ijblo witli the angle medial, broad, and roujided, the 

 dorsal line tlightly cotivex, the sides convex, the edges 

 sharp, inflected, slightly curved, the tip rathe.- nnriow. 

 Avlth its edges decurved. 



Mouth wide ; palate flat, with two prominent pajiii- 

 late longitudinal iines ; upper mandible internally flat 

 {ish, wilh a ceJitral ridge and /projecting margins, the 

 'owcr deeply cOiicave within, forming a broad groove: 

 ^!ie palatal slit deiWded by minute acute papillae; aper- 

 ture of the glottis margined behind by numerous pa- 

 pillae projecting backwards. Tongue short, fleshy, 

 rounded, emarginate, posteriorly sagittate and papil- 

 late, ffisophagus wide, slightly dilated about the mid- 

 dle, glaiiuiilar and enlarged at its lower part, Stomach 



