307 
No. 538. Circus Melanoleucus.* Gmet. 
Tue Prep Harrtizr. 
Nothing seems to be known of the nidification of this species, 
in India or elsewhere. 
* Crrous MELANOLEUCUS. 
| 
DIMENSIONS. 
Distance by which lower tail coverts fall short 
r= 
. o 
& = 
aa 
oO — oO 
o 
Ss s| .| & e 
. 2 o |} & { 
o a Oo; S ; of os tee] 2 
> a to Pe l|eya| Oo 
: ° F. bo | & aja oO} oH 
BS g + e | Mell aT al erated (rele | Sei lca re sal | iS) 
aoe Pleyl SEIS (EIS Elelai eles igais 
=| a a = = ea Di i ad a 18°) % 
a are tall eee | cle tS) A estes Ney lense ; ‘a) 3 
QOeu oa 1 a] sia] e2liale2|/s|/2/e o| s 
HIB JE Jalal lal ele e/a l/se |e 4 
0°62] 0°57] 0°62} 0°56) 0 65) 0°68 1°05/0°82] 0°36) 3 00} 0°83 
Man 
To  |1715/43°00/ 14°83] 9°20) 3°18) 1°4 0°73/0'61| 0°74 0°61 0°75] 0°77) 1°25/0°95) 0°41] 4°50) O°4 
- From /16°00/39°00)13'70) 8°00] 2 98 “ 55 
‘a 
| 
(Five males, 2 adults and 3 young, measured.) 
The 3rd primary the longest. The 1st is 31 to 3°6 shorter, the 2nd 
0°7 to 0°8, and the 4th 0°08 to 0°25 shorter. Exterior tail feathers 0:2 to 
0°7 shorter than central ones. 
Descriprion.—In all, the legs and feet were yellow, the bill, black, and 
the cere, blackish horny. The irides in the adults were yellow, in the 
young yellowish white. 
PrumaGce Adult male. The whole head, chin, throat, neck all round, 
upper breast, upper half, or in some two-thirds, of the back, the scapulars, 
(all but the undermost one or two) the first 6 primaries and a broad band 
across the wing (commencing on the carpal joint and involving some 
of the small coverts, and most of the median and larger coverts of the se- 
condaries and tertiaries) black, (or blackish brown in a somewhat earlier stage 
of plumage). Lower portion of the back, (except a broad central line, usually 
black), rump and upper tail coverts, pure white, the latter with large, 
subterminal, grey spots, or broad imperfect bars, in some specimens, almost 
obsolete. Winglet, primary greater coverts, last 4 primaries and _se- 
condaries silver grey, often broadly tipped with brown, and with a consider- 
able portion of the inner webs white. ‘Tertiaries and some of their greater 
coverts, dark brown. Undermost scapulars a mixture of dark brown 
and grey. Shoulder of wing and all the lesser coverts (except those involved 
