MILVUS MIGRANS ■ 121 



rowing curves, according as it ascends or descends, its wings out- 

 spread but motionless, its deeply-forked tail alone moving from time 

 to time, in order to guide the bird's course. Occasionally it will 

 ascend to a great height, and even disappear out of sight, but when 

 the bird is hungry and searching for food, it keeps comparatively near 

 the ground. 



Small mammals, weakly birds, reptiles, and even insects, form its 

 diet, while carrion is not disdained, but as the bird is timid and 

 cowardly, it will rarely attack any creature capable of showing fight 

 and defending itself. 



Fish are said to be often taken by this bird, as they lie on the 

 surface of the water. The Kite is silent as a rule, but during the 

 breeding-season it utters a shrill and rather plaintive cry. 



The species apparently nests either in cliffs or on high trees, the 

 nest itself being a bulky structure composed of dry sticks, and 

 generally lined with wool and bits of rag, or other extraneous 

 materials. The eggs, usually three, and less often four na number, 

 are white, or pale greenish-white, with greyish shell-marks and rufous- 

 brown spots and blotches. Average measurements 60 X 45 mm. 



MILYUS MIGRANS (Boddaert). 

 BLACK KITE. 



Falco migrans, Bodd. Tabl. PL Enl. p. 28 (1783). 



MilYus migrans, Strickland, Orn. Syn. p. 133 (1855) ; Eoeiiig, J. f. 0. 



1892, p. 316 ; Whitakcr, Ibis, 1895, p. 103. 

 MilYUS korschun, Sharpc, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i, p. 822. 

 MilYUS niger, Malhcrhc, Fauna Orn. dc I'Alg. 1855, p. 8; Locke, Expl. 



Sci. Ahj. Ois. i, p. 77 (18G7). 

 MilYUS korschun reichenowi, Erlanger, J. f. 0. 1898, p. 401. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, EI Oubira, Central Tunisia. 



Entire head, throat and nape, wliitish, streaked with blackish-brown 

 upper parts generally dark brown, inclining to rufous on the wing-coverts ; 

 primaries dull black ; the tail, which is only slightly forked, dull brown, 

 indistinctly barred with dark brown ; breast clove-brown, gradually shading 

 into rusty-brown ou the abdomen and into rufous on the flanks, most of the 

 feathers, particularly on the breast, streaked with blackish-brown. 



Iris bright hazel ; bill and claws black ; feet and cere yellow. 



Total length 23 inches, wing 17-75, culmen 1-50, tarsus 2-20. 



Adult female differs but slightly from the male. 



