MILVUS. ;J77 



the shipping, perching freely on the rigging, and in company with 

 the Brahminy Kite, which rarely enters towns, snatching scraps 

 of refuse from the surface of the waters. The food of the Kite 

 is usually devoured on the wing, or, if too large, carried to the 

 nearest house or tree. 



" The flight of the Indian Kite is bold, easy, and graceful when 

 once mounted aloft, though somewhat heavy on first taking wing, 

 and it soars slowly about, in greater or less numbers, in large circles. 



" Mr. Blyth notices their collecting in numbers without any 

 apparent object, especially towards evening. This I have fre- 

 quently observed at all large stations, where the whole Kites 

 of the neighbourhood, before retiring to roost, appear to hold 

 conclave. They are said to leave Calcutta almost entirely for 

 three or four months during the rains " [this is perfectly correct]. 

 "I have not noticed this at other places. As remarked by 

 Buchanan Hamilton, they may often be seen seated on the 

 entablatures of buildings, with their breast to the wall and wings 

 spread out, exactly as represented in Egyptian monuments." 



In various parts of India Kites have been found breeding by 

 Mr. B. Aitken and others at all times of the year, but the 

 principal breeding-season is from January to March or April. 

 The pairing is accompanied by much squealing, and the common 

 Indian name, " Chil " or " Cheel," is derived from the bird's cry. 

 The nest, a clumsy mass of sticks and twigs, mixed or lined with 

 rags, grass, &c., is generally on a tree, more rarely on a building. 

 The eggs are generally 2, sometimes 3 or 4, in number, pale 

 greenish white, variously spotted or blotched with brown or red 

 and measure about 2-19 by 1'77. 



1230. Milvus melanotis. The Large Indian Kite. 



Milvus melanotis, Temm. fy Schleg. Faun. Jap., Aves, p. 14, pis. v, v b 

 (1846-50); Hume, J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. 2, p. 114; Blanf. 

 J. A. S. E. xli, pt. 2, p. 153 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xliii,pt. 2, 

 p. 152; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. i, p. 324; A. Anderson, S. F. iii. 

 p. 387 ; Ball, S. F. v, p. 412 ; vii, p. 200 ; Anders. Yunnan 

 Exped., Aves, p. 574 ; Hume, Cat. no. 56 bis ; Scully, S. F. viii, 

 p. 228; Gurnet/, Ibis, 1879, p. 80; Butler, S. F. ix, p. 375; 

 Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 422; Oates, B. B.n,v. 203; id. in Hume'* 

 N. S( E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 176; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 57; Hume, 

 S. F. xi, p. 15 ; Sharpe, Yarkand Miss., Aves, p. 8. 



Milvus, sp., Blanf. J. A. S. B. xxxviii, pt. 2, p. 167. 



Milvus major, Hume, Rough Notes, p. 326 (1870) ; id. Ibis, 1870, 

 p. 439 ; Jerdon, Ibis, 1871, p. 342 ; A. Anderson, P. Z. S. 1872, 

 p. 79 ; 1875, p. 25 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 54 ; id. S. F. \, p. 160 ; iii. 

 pp. 35, 229, 448 ; iv, p. 414; Fairbank, S. F. iv, p. 253. 



Mflvus govinda, apud Brooks, S. F. iii, pp. 229, 275 ; iv, p. iTi* : 

 viii, p. 406; id. Ibis, 1884, p. 238; 1885, p. 3rf6; Biddulph 

 G. F. L. Marshall, Ibis, 1881, p. 44. 



This Kite is chiefly distinguished from M. yovinda by larger 

 size, the coloration being almost identical ; but the present species 

 may generally be recognized by the amount of white on the inner 



