MIL VUS ELANUS 537 



754. YELLOW-BILLED KITE. 

 MILVUS .JEGYPTIUS. 



Milvus cegyptius (Gmel.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 261 (1788) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. i. p. 320 ; Dresser, v. p. 657 ; M. forskdhU (Gmel.), torn. cit. 

 p. 263 ; M. parasiticits (Daud.), Traite d'Orn. ii. p. 150 (1800). 



ad. (Egypt). Besembles M. migrans, but the crown is less grey and 

 more rufous in tinge, the tail is more deeply forked, and the whole bill as 

 well as the cere wax-yellow. Culmen 1'5, wing 16'8, tail 11 '5, tarsus 

 2-25 inch. 



Hal). Africa from the Mediterranean south to the Cape 

 Colony where, however, it is rare ; Palestine ; of rare occurrence 

 north of the Mediterranean in Greece and the Cyclades ; Asia 

 Minor. 



In habits it resembles M. migrans, but is bolder and more 

 fearless, and frequents the vicinity of towns, villages, camps, &c. 

 where it feeds on carrion and offal and also on chickens, rats, 

 large insects, and reptiles. It nests on trees, ruins, cliffs, &c., 

 making a somewhat loosely constructed nest of sticks lined 

 with rags, or any available soft material. The eggs, 2 to 3 in 

 number, resemble those of M. migrans, but are a trifle smaller 

 and more sparingly marked. 



ELANUS, Savigny, 1810. 



755. BLACK-WINGED KITE. 

 ELANUS OflERULEUS. 



Elanus cceruleus (Desf.), Mem. Acad. R. des Sciences, 1787, p. 503, pi. 15 j 

 Shelley, B. of Egypt, p. 198 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 336 ; 

 Dresser, r. p. 663, pL 363 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 379 ; 

 E. melanopterus (Daud.), Traite d'Orn. ii. p. 152 (1800) ; (Naum.), 

 xiii. Taf. 347 ; Gould, B. of E. i. pi. 31. 



Aisha-hemika, Moor. ; Saqer el Baz, Kuhieli, Arab. ; Kapassi, 

 Hind. ; UTcussa, Cing. 



<J ad. (Egypt). Forehead, lores, a line over the eye, and sides of the 

 head white ; feathers round the eye and eyelashes black ; upper parts light 

 ashy grey, the tail paler, the outer tail-feathers white ; quills white at 

 extreme "base, darker towards the tip ; lesser and median wing-coverts and 

 a patch on the outer edge of the wing black ; under parts white ; bill 

 bluish horn ; cere and legs yellow ; iris carmine ; tarsus feathered in front 

 about half its length. Culmen I/O, wing 11 '6, tail 5'5, tarsus 1-45 inch. 

 Female similar. The young bird has the upper parts brown marked with 



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