95 



oblique, generally closed in with a superior 

 membrane ; bill usually rather weak, straight at 

 base, curved from cere to point, the cutting edge 

 at most slightly festooned, but in two or three 

 genera either toothed or serrated ; wings nsuallj' 

 long, more or less pointed ; tail variable ; feet 

 small and weak ; tarsi feathered for a variable 

 distance. 



Gen. LXV. ELANOIDES Vieill. (1818). 



Tail very long and deeply forked, outer feather 

 mnch the longest ; wings very long and pointed, 

 but not reaching beyond next outermost pair of 

 tail-feathers. 



238. 



Head, neck all round, rumji and entire 

 under parts snowy white ; back, Avings and 

 tail glossy black with purplish and green 

 reflections, the former especially on the 

 scapulars and wings ; secondaries white on 

 inner webs, except at tips. 

 Elanoides forficatus forficatiis (Linn.), S.N., i., 

 p. 89 (1758). [''America," ex Catesby = 

 Carolina.] 

 Swallow-tailed Kite 



N. America, 

 (breeds in 

 S. United 

 States, but 

 winters S. 

 of them) ; 

 Mexico. 



238a. 



Wing (^ (Venez.) 16.60 ; outer tail-feathers 

 12.75 in. " Difl^ers from N. American speci- 

 mens in having [reflections on] the scapulars 

 and to a lesser extent interscapulars rich 

 bottle green instead of dark purplish maroon" 

 (Chapman). [Doubtfully distinct.] 

 Elanoides forficatus yetapa Bonn, et Vieill., 

 Ency. Meth., iii., p. 1205 (1823). [Paraguay.] 

 Southern Swallow-tailed Kite. 



CI. America 

 (Costa Rica) 

 S. to Peru, 

 Bolivia & 

 Paraguay. 



Gen. LXVI. NAUCLERUS Vig. (1825). 



Tail much shorter ; wings long, but not greatly 

 exceeding length of tail. 



