inhabiting the South of Africa. 389 



STIRPS. MILVINA. 



Rostrum mediocre a basi subaduncum. Cauda furcata. 

 GENUS. ELANUS. 



Rostrum mediocre debile, com- 

 pressum. Tarsi breves semi- 

 plumati. Acrotarsia reticulata. 

 Ungues medio excepto interne 

 rotundi. Remex 2^» s - longissi- 

 mus ; \mus. e t <2,dus. fortitcr in- 

 terne emarginatus. 



Bill moderately long, weak, 

 and compressed- Tarsi short, 

 half feathered. Acrotarsia 

 reticulated. Claws, with the 

 exception of the middle one, 

 rounded. Second wing feather 

 the longest ; first and second 

 strongly emarginate. 



Elancs Melanopterus, Leach. Witte Spervel of the Colonists. 



Elanus Caesius, Savigny. — Falco Melanopterus, Daud. — Le 

 Blac, Le Vaillant, pi. 36 and 37. 



E. plumbeus, subtus albidus, remigibus nigricantibus ; rosho 

 humerisque, nigris ; cauda subalbida; pedibus, cera que flavis, 

 ocidis rubris. 



Male. — Bill black; cere yellow; eyes red ; front and eye= 

 brows white; crown and back of neck light bluish gray ; in- 

 terscapulars, back, rump, and scapulars, bluish gray ; shoulder? 

 jet black ; chin, throat, breast, belly, vent, and inside of wings 

 pure white. Primary and secondary wing coverts bluish gray, 

 with the edges of inner vanes white, and some of the feathers 

 distinctly tipt with that color; primary quill feathers dusky, 

 hoary gray, shaded towards tips with reddish brown ; secon- 

 daries bluish gray. Tail slightly forked, pale bluish white, 

 with the outer vane of each feather faintly tinted with purple 

 near tip ; vanes dark reddish brown ; legs and toes yellow ; 

 claws black. Length from bill to base of tail six and a half 

 inches ; length of latter five inches. 



Female. — Size rather exceeding that of the male, and the 

 color of the plumage less deep. 



Young. — Bill black ; base of under mandible, and the part 

 of the upper one adjoining it, yellowish ; front reddish white; 

 crown and back of neck dusky, slightly variegated Avith very 

 fine reddish tawny streaks ; interscapulars dirty blackish 

 blue, with fine reddish white tips ; back uniform dusky bluft ; 

 scapulars dirty blackish blue, with a tinge of brown, and all 

 broadly tipt with impure white ; shoulders black, many of the 

 feathers faintly tipt with white. Primary and secondary wing 

 coverts bluish gray, many of them with white tips ; primary 

 win^ feathers blackish blue with white tips ; secondaries with 

 reddish white tips. Chin and throat white ; breast and bellv 

 pale tawny or dull reddish white ; thighs white. Tail a pale 



