1 91 9'] the Birds of the Anglo- I'^gyplian Sudan. 691 



Milvus migrans subsp. ? 



[C. & L. coll.] 5 Erkowit Apl. R.S. 



These five Kites are in very worn plumage and are thus 

 not very easy to determine. They have the crown of the 

 head almost white with very narrow blackish central streaks^ 

 and in this respect resemble M. m. migrans, but one of the 

 five has a yellow bill, which would be more characteristic of 

 M. m. cegyptius. On the other hand, they are smaller than 

 the typical Egyptian Kite, the wings averaging 405 mm. 

 against 430 to -450 for the Egyptian bird. They agree best 

 with other K tes from the Red Sea coast, Aden and 

 Sonialiland, and appear to he an intermediate race between 

 M. m. ceyyptius and M. m. parasitus, as is suggested by 

 Hartert (Vog. pal. Faun. p. 1172). 



Chelictinia riocourii. 



Elanoides riocourii Vieill. & Oud. Gal. Ois. i. 1823, p. 43, 

 pi. 16 : Senegal. 



Nauclerus riocouri Heichw. V. A. i. p. 617 ; Butler, Ibis^ 

 1905, p. 365. 



[B. coU.J 1 Malakal, Jan. U.N. (ex C. & L. coll.). 



[C. & L. coll.] 5 Malakal, Jan. U.N. 



Mr. Butler saw the African Swallow-tailed Kite fre- 

 quently in Kordofan and less frequently in the Blue Nile 

 country. Messrs. Chapman, Lynes & Lowe came on a 

 densely packed fiock in a tree at INIalakal and the above 

 six specimens were killed with one shot. 



The characteristic black patch on the under wing-coverts 

 appears to be present only in the female and to constitute 

 a sexual distinction. The under wing-coverts in the male 

 are pure white. Of the series above, three are males with 

 wing-measurements 223, 227, and 230 mm. respectively, 

 and three females measuring 227, 240, and 245. The small 

 series of this rare species in the British Museum, which 

 includes Vieillot's type from the Riocour collection, con- 

 firms this sexual distinction. Salvadori (Ann. J\lus, Civ. 

 Genova, xxi. 1884, p. 59) commented on the presence or 

 absence of the black patch on the under wing-coverts, and 



