1873.] W. E. Brooks — Note on a new species of Kite. 145 



The small Marsh kite is an extremely abundant species in the N. W. 

 Provinces, and its appearance in September or October is a sure harbinger of 

 the cold weather. It is gregarious, associating at times in large flocks ; and in 

 this respect it differs from its larger ally (31. major") which, as a rule, is a 

 solitary bird. 



Early in the season they are both extremely shy, thus affording a mark- 

 ed contrast to the permanently resident species (31. Govinda). 



The summer habitat of 31. palustris is still a desideratum. I have 

 satisfied myself beyond doubt that it does not breed within our limits, 

 numerous dissections proving the bird to be a late breeder. 



In concluding my remarks on this subject, I wish to place on record 

 the probable existence of another species of kite, considerably black- 

 er and larger than the ordinary run of full sized Govindas. I have one 

 specimen of this kite, a $ of the same dimensions as 31. major, but differ- 

 ing in the shape of its nostril (a characteristic feature in Raptorial birds) 

 from 'all the other Indian species of Kites. 



At first I inclined to the belief that in this bird I had got hold of 

 the European 31. migrans, Bodd ; the more so, as Mr. Gurney has recorded 

 it from Affghanistan. But on comparing this large black kite with a Rus- 

 sian-killed 31. migrans, the difference between the two birds is very marked. 

 The former was a breeding bird, with testes enormously developed, or I 

 might have been inclined to have considered it merely a melanoid variety 

 of M. major. 



Note by W. E. Brooks. 



I quite agree with my friend, Mr. Anderson, in separating this kite. 



The tendency to pale buff under the wings is a remarkable characteris- 

 tic of 31. palustris, to which 31. major is not subject ; and in this respect it 

 is not always an " exact miniature" of its large congener. 



I have long known this kite, and once imagined it to be 31. melanotis, 

 Temm. and Schl. but the latter is now, I think, almost proved to 

 be identical with M. major, Hume. I quite believe in their identity ; 

 for a bird so strikingly resembling 31. major as 31. melanotis does according 

 to all accounts, is sure to have a corresponding amount of white under the 

 wing. The alleged want of white in the wing of the latter is the only differ- 

 ence observed. This amount of white under the wing of 31. major is varia- 

 ble ; sometimes it is clear white, at other times only a mottling of white on 

 the basal half of the inner webs of the primaries. 



With reference to the idea entertained by Messrs. Hume and Anderson 

 that there are two species of dusky kites of the Govinda type in India ; I 

 cannot believe in anything of the sort. I have one of the larger dusky kites 

 referred to by Mr. Anderson, and I have examined his bird too ; I have also 



