153 
brown ; tail with very indistinct darker 
bars ; below dull rufous brown, brighter on 
abdomen, with blackish shaft-lines ; cere 
orange, bill black, feet yellow. 
{248a. Milvus migrans egyptius (Gmel.), S.N.,1., N. & E. Africa, 
p- 261 (1788). [Egyft.] Palestine, 
Yellow-billed Kite. Arabia? cas. in 
Suro pe: 
Size nearly the same ; wing 3 430, 9 450- 
460, tail 2 290 mm.; tail more rufous 
brown, with 7 or 8 more distinct blackish 
bands ; head and hind neck browner ; ear- 
coverts darker ; below rather more rufous, 
especially on abdomen, thighs and under 
wing- and tail-coverts ; bill, as well as cere 
and feet, bright yellow. Immature birds 
have bill blackish. 
t248b. Milvus migrans arabicus subsp. nov. [g 5S. Arabia ; 
Lahy, S. Arabia, Aug. 25th, 1899, W. Dod-  Erythrea (?) 
son coll., type in Tring Mus. ] Brit. Somali- 
Arabian Kite. land (?)+ 
Smaller; wing ¢g (Arabia) 400-418, tail 
254 mm. ; paler than M. m. egyptius and 
more resembling M. m. govinda ; head and 
hind neck more rufescent as in latter form ; 
tail with about 8 obsolete darker bands ; 
below with broad tawny fulvous centres to 
the feathers, black shaft-lines and darker 
brownish edges; bill generally slate to 
blackish, seldom yellow; cere and feet 
yellow. Immature birds have stripes be- 
low as pale and conspicuous as in M. m. 
govinda. 
1 Mr. W. Sclater (MS.), following Dr. Hartert, thinks the birds from these 
districts are intermediate between M. m. @gyptius and M. m. parasitus. 1, however, 
regard the Arabian birds at least as clearly intermediate between M. m. @gyptius 
and M. m. govinda. TheS. Arabian kites form a distinct colony of very small birds, 
but whether the birds from Erythrea and Brit. Somaliland can be fairly linked with 
them is a matter for consideration. 
