M1LVUS. 57 



51. MilvUS govinda, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 81 ; Jtrd* 23. of JmL 

 p. 104, No. 56 ; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 320; Sharpe, Cat. Ace. J3. AT 

 p. 325 ; Stray Feathers^ i. p. 1 60 ; Murray, HdUk. ZooL fyc. Sind, 

 p. 1 1 6 ; id. Vert. ZooL Sind, p. 90. The COMMON PARIAH KITE. 



Adult Male. Above brown or rufous brown, the head and neck rufescent 

 with dark central stripes. Scapulars and wing coverts edged with buff, the 

 wing coverts with dark central stripes. Quills and greater coverts dark brown, 

 the quills albescent near the base and mottled with brown. Tail ashy brown, 

 tipped with buffy white and barred with brown ; the under surface pale brown 

 or whitish, and also mottled and barred. Throat albescent with brown 

 shaft stripes. Under parts dull rufous brown, buffy on the vent and under 

 tail coverts, and with brown shaft stripes. The feathers of the breast some- 

 what fulvescent. Under wing coverts rufous brown, with dark brown centres 

 to the feathers. Cere and gape yellow. Bill horny black. Feet yellowish. 

 Irides yellowish. 



Length. 20 to 23 inches; wing 18*5 to 19 ; tail 13 ; tarsus 2-25. 



Hal. Throughout India. A resident scavenger. Breeds on house tops, 

 old mosques, and flat-roofed buildings, seldom on trees, during January, 

 February, and March. It occurs also in Beloochistan, Afghanistan, and 



Nepal. 



52. MilvUS melanotiS, Tern, el Schhg.Faun.Jap. ; Stanford, J. A. 

 S. B. 1872, p. 153 ; Gray, Gen. Birds, i p. 24 ; S. F. i. p. 160; id. in. 229; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Ace. Br. Mus. p. 324; Murray, Zool. $r. Sind, p. 1 16. Milvus 

 major, Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 326; Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 91. 

 The LARGE PARIAH KITE. 



Adult Male. Above dark chocolate brown, all the feathers distinctly 

 streaked down the centre with black; the wing coverts a little paler brown, the 

 lesser series washed with rufous, all with distinct black shaft stripes. Greater 

 coverts and quills dark brown, the secondaries paler brown, the primaries 

 blackish, all the quills distinctly white at the base of the inner web, and 

 sometimes mottled with brown. Tail rather pale brown, the centre feathers 

 with a slight rufous tinge and distinctly barred with darker brown ; these bars 

 are distinct on the inner web only of the outer feathers Under surface of 

 tail brownish ashy, the bars more or less distinct. Lores, forehead, cheeks 

 and throat white, with distinct shaft lines of dark brown ; ear coverts dark 

 brown; throat white, tinged with rufous on the lower part. Breast deep 

 rufous brown, shading into clear rufous on the abdomen and under tail coverts ; 

 the feathers on the breast margined lighter and with broad central dark streaks. 

 Under wing coverts dark brown, dashed with rufous; the lower ones ashy 

 brown, notched or barred with white on their inner webs. Cere pale greenish 

 yellow. Bill horn black. Feet dull yellow. Irides reddish brown. 

 8 



