198 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Elanus leucurus (\'ieii,lot). 



BLACK-SHOtTLDEUED KITE; WHITE-TAILED KITE. 



Milni^h'Kcuni.i. ViKll.i.. Nouv. Dit't. Hist. Nat. XX, .WG, 1816; Kno. Meth. Ill, 1205, 

 1823. EluuoidcH leucurus, Vikti.i,. Kmo. Mrtli. Ill, 1205, 182». Khiuis Icucurun, 

 I'lnXAl'. Kur. & N. Am. Bir.ls, \i. 4, 1838 ; Coiisp. Av. p. 22, 18.".0. — (!i:ay, Ocii. li. 

 M. sp. 4, 1844; List IJ. Hiit. Mils. p. 4fi, 1844. — Hicil. SciloMit. Kcis. Brit, (iui- 

 ana, i>. 735. - Cass. H. C'al. k Tt-x. p. lOti, 1854 ; Birds \. Am. 1858, 37. — Kaii>, 

 MoiioK. Fiilc. Coiit. Orn. 1850, p. (iO. — Hkkum. 1'. K. U. Kept. VII, 31, 1857.— 

 C'diip. k Sick. I', li. H. Kept. XII, ii, 14!t, IStiO. — (Viuks, Prod. Orn. Ariz. p. 12, 

 18(i(i. — SriiRKL. Orn. Syn. I, 138, 1855. — Gkay, Hand List, I, 28, 1869. Falco 

 mclanopkrus, Boxap. Journ. Ac. Tliil. V, 28 ; Ann. Lyo. N. Y. II, 31 ; Isis, 1832, 

 p. 1137. MUrus dis)iar. Less. Man. Orn. I, 00, 1828. Fakn iliipar, Bonap. Am. Orn. 

 pi. xi, f. 1, 1825 ; Ann. Lyo. X. V. II, 435. — All). Am. B. pis. njcli, ccitlvii ; Orn. 

 Biof,'. IV, 367, 1831. — Temm. pi. ol. 319 (Jiiv.). —.Fames. (Wll.s.) Am. Orn. IV. 13, 

 1831. Ehinm dhpni; Cuv. Kej,'. An. (ctl. 2), I, 334, 1829. — Less. Tr. Orn. p. 72, 

 1831.— .lAiil). (W11..S.) Am. Orn. Ill, 378, 1832. — BiuDii. Proc. Zoul. Soc. pt. ii, p. 

 100; Ann. Nat. Hist. XIII, 500. — Ai:i). Syn. 15. p. 13, 1831. — Buew. (AVil.s.) 

 Synnp. 11. 685, 1852. — NriT. Man. p. 93, 1833. E. leucurus, Bueweu, Oiilogy. 



.?p. CiiAit. Adult. Uiipt'r surface, includinj? occiput, najio, inter.«capnlar.<!, .«capular.<!, 

 rnnip, nppor tnil-covort.s, and winprs (except les.ser and middle covert.s), .soft, delicate, 

 rather lifjht lilui.-ih-ciiiercoiis, becoininrr fjradiially white on anterior portion of the head 

 ahovo. Rest of the head, with tiie tail, liniiij,' of tlie winp;, and entire lower parts, pure 

 whit(>, sometimes with a very faint tinp:e of pale pearl-hlue, laterally heiiiMth ; two middle 

 tail-leather.s a.s]iy, but nmeh lijjhter than the rump; shafts of tail-feather.s hlaek, except 

 toward ends. Bristly loral feathers (forming ante-orbital .spot, exteinliiif; narrowly al)ove 

 the eye), a very large patch on the shoulder, covering lesser and niiildle wing-coverts, and 

 large quadrat(! spot on under side of wing (on first row of primary coverts), deep 

 black. Under side of primaries deep cinereous (darker than outer surface) ; under sur- 

 face of secondaries nearly white. Second quill longest ; third scarcely shorter (.some- 

 times equal, or even longest) ; first longer than fourth. Tail .slightly einargiuated, the 

 longest feather (next to outer) being about .50 longer than the middle, and .GO (or more) 

 longer than the lateral, which is shortest. 



Male. Wing, 12.50; tail, 7.10; tarsu.x, 1.20; middle toe, 1.15. 



Fem'ile. Wing, 12.80; tail, 7.10; tar.sus, 1.45; middle toe, 1.35. 



Specimens not perfectly adult have the primary coverts, secondaries, and inner pri- 

 maries, slightly tipped with white. 



Still younger individuals have these white tips broader, the tail more .ishy, and the 

 upper parts witli numerous feathers dull brown, tipped narrowly with white ; the breast 

 with sparse longitudinal touches of brownish. 



Y<)un<j (9, 4S.S2G, Santiago, Chile, May, 18G6; Dr. Philippi). Occiput and nape 

 thickly marked with broad streaks of du.sky, tinged with rust;' ; .scapulars umber-brown, 

 tipped with rusty ; all the feathers of wings narrowly tipped with white; tail-feathers with 

 a subterminal irregular bar of dark a.shy ; breast tinged with rnfon.s, and with badly defined 

 cuiieate spots of deeper rusty. Wing, 12.25 ; tail, 7..50. (Perhaps not the youngest stage.) 



Hah. Tropical and warm temperate America (except the West Indies), from Chile and 

 Buenos .\yres to Florida, South C; rolina, Southern Illinois, and California; winter resi- 

 dent in latter State. 



Localities: Xalapa (Sei,. 1S57, 201) ; Guatemala rSci.. Ibi.s, I, 220) ; Brazil (Pelz. Orn. 

 Br.is. T, G) ; Buenos Ayre.s (Scl. & Salv. 18G!), IGO) ; Venezuela (Sul. k Salv. 18G9, 

 252). 



