BIEDS OF EGYPT. 197 



less to pale rufous on the top of the head and nape, the 

 centre of each feather marked with a narrow streak of dusky 

 brown ; remainder of the upper plumage brown, with light 

 edgings to the feathers ; primaries black ; tail rufous brown, 

 darkest on the outer feathers, and crossed by nine or ten bars ; 

 uuderparts rufous brown, the feathers marked down theii" 

 centres with dusky ; tail forked ; beak, cere, and tarsi yellow ; 

 irides pale yellowish brown. 



Entire length 24' 5 inches; culmen I'S ; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 18 ; tarsus 2" 2. 



Immature plumage. — Tail often not forked ; top of the 

 head and nape sandy colour, with the centres of the feathers 

 dark brown ; remainder of the upper plumage dark brown, 

 all the feathers, including the quills and tail, broadly edged 

 with pale brown ; underparts pale brown, mottled with dark 

 brown, mostly on the chest ; cere and legs yellow ; beak 

 black ; irides brown. 



Entire length 19 to 21'2 inches ; culmen 1*5 ; wing, carpus 

 tip, 13 to 16. 



The description of the immature bird is taken from fom' 

 specimens in my own collection. 



Fig. Dubois, Ois. de I'Eur. pi. 14. 



185. MiLVUs MIGRANS (Bodd.). Black Kile. 



Some ornithologists include under this name both the 

 Black Kite [M. migrans) and the Yellow-billed Kite {M. 

 ceggptius), both of which birds are met with in Egypt ; but 

 the black-billed examples are rare, excepting immature spe- 

 cimens, which invariably have the beak of that colour, whether 



