187 



CYMINDINJE, OR TRUE KITES. 



IF we remove Milvus (the common Kite of 

 British authors) from that section with which it 

 has hitherto been placed, receiving it as the 

 Fissirostral form ^among the Harriers and Buz- 

 zards, then the title of " Milvince" would be very 

 inappropriate for our present sub-family, and the 

 British members of it will be reduced to only one 

 species. We do think that it has been errone- 

 ously placed here, and we have, for the present, 

 adopted Mr Swainson's name of Cymindince, 

 leaving it, however, for future observation to 

 determine whether or not the birds which pre- 

 sently compose the genus Cymindis are typical of 

 this sub-family. 



One species, the Swallow-tailed Hawk of 

 Wilson, occurring very rarely within the British 

 boundaries, is the only bird which gives our 

 Fauna any claim to boast of this graceful form. 

 There is some confusion in the generic name 

 which should be applied to this bird, and we are 

 not sure that we can now clear it up. Savigny 

 appears to have given " Elanus" to the E. mela- 

 nopterus as a distinct form, but not including in 

 it that of our British representative, which widely 

 differs ; while the title of Nauclerus was given by 



