inhabiting the South of Africa. 389 



STIRPS. MILVINA. 



Hostrum 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 Zdus. longissi- 

 mus, \mus. e t %dus. fortiter 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. 

 ELANUS MELANOPTERTJS, 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 ; rostro 

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

 oculis 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; shoulders 

 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 with very 

 fine reddish tawny streaks ; interscapulars dirty blackish 

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

 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 

 wing feathers blackish blue with white tips ; secondaries with 

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

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



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