ELANUS. 59 



Adult Male. Crown, sides of the head and nape white ; the forehead 

 narrowly and the other parts broadly striped with blackish brown ; upper 

 parts dark hair brown, wiih a metallic gloss on the back ; the feathers on the 

 hind neck with dark central stripes, those of the wing coverts and a few of 

 the scapulars with lighter edges ; primaries black, excepting some of the 

 inner ones, which are deep brown ; secondaries blackish brown, the inner 

 ones assimilating in colour to the back ; tail like the back, but slightly duller 

 and a trifle grey in tinge, and with scarcely perceptible darker bars, being also 

 but slightly forked ; throat dull white, striped with blackish brown ; breast 

 clove brown with blackish stripes ; rest of the under parts deep ferruginous, 

 each feather with a dark shaft line; under wing coverts rufous, varied with 

 deep brQwn ; bill blackish horn, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; 

 cere pale yellow ; iris greyish, with a yellow tinge surrounded by a black line ; 

 legs pale yellow; claws black. Total length about 32 inches; culmen i'6 ; 

 wing 17-0; tail 11*2; tarsus 2-25. 



Female. Resembles the male, but is somewhat larger in size, rather darker, 

 and a trifle more rufous in general colouration. 



Young. Upper parts of a much duller brown than the adult; the feathers 

 tipped with yellowish white, which gives it a very spotted appearance ; crown 

 and nape with these terminal spots much larger, so as almost to hide the rest 

 of the feathers ; throat brownish white, the feathers with dark shafts ; rest of the 

 under parts dull dark brown, becoming dull reddish brown on the abdomen, 

 every feather with the terminal portion, except on the edge, dull horny colour, 

 which gives the under parts the appearance of being marked with elongated 

 oval spots of this latter colour ; quills and tail as in the adult ; but the latter is 

 tipped with dull brownish white, and the bars are more conspicuous. (Dresser, 

 Birds of Europe.) 



Hab. Upper Sind Frontier, Beloochistan, and Southern Afghanistan; 

 Africa, Madagascar, S. and VV. Europe. Breeds nearly throughout Afghanis- 

 tan and Beloochistan during March. Eggs, in size, shape and colour the 

 counterpart of M. govinda. 



Gen. ElanuS. Savigny. 



Bill small, ridge (without cere) greater than half of middle toe without 

 claw ; tip much hooked and lengthened ; edge of upper mandible slightly 

 sinuate. Cere small ; nostrils oval. Loreal space feathered. Wings reaching 

 to end of tail, pointed ; 2nd quill longest; the ist emarginate near the tip. 

 Tail short. Tarsi short, plumed above, covered with small round scales. 

 Middle claw keeled. 



55. ElanuS CaeruleilS, Desf. Mem. Acad. R. des Science, p. 503, pl_ 

 15. Falco melanopterus, Daud. Traite, ii. i. p. 152 ; Bree, Birds Eur. i. p. 108. 

 Elanus melanopterus, Leach, Zool. Misc. p. 5 ; Jcrd. Birds of bid. i. p. 112^ 



