1868.] MR. R. C. BEAVAN ON INDIAN RAPTORES. 399 



55. Haliastur INDUS, Bodd. The Brahminy Kite of Euro- 

 peans in India ; DJiohee ha cJieel or Washerman's Kite of the natives. 



This, as mentioned by Jerdon, is particularly abundant in Lower 

 Bengal, and extends to the Maunbhoom district, where I observed 

 several about tanks near villages, especially at Ambekanuggur, in 

 February 1865. It is rare up the country at Umballah, where I 

 do not recollect ever noticing it, but where is abundantly found 

 the next species. 



56. MiLVTJS GoviNDA, Sykes. The Common Pariah Kite of India. 



" Milvus assimilis, the young. I am satisfied that two species 

 of Kites exist in India, the larger, the true M. govinda, appears to be 

 identical with M. melanotis of China, Japan, Formosa, and the Loo- 

 choo Islands ; the smaller I consider identical with M. assimilis of 

 Australia and Celebes. The young of M. govinda, when first 

 leaving the nest, has both the upper and under plumage inter- 

 spersed with longitudinal marks, sometimes white, sometimes pale 

 brownish yellow, and about an inch in length. I want to ascertain 

 whether the young of Milvus affinis are similarly marked. The latter 

 is very closely related to, though distinct from, the Black Kite of 

 Europe^ (3/. ater), which I have seen from Afghanistan and from 

 Northern China, and which may possibly occur in India also " 

 (Gurney in epist. January 1866). 



I quite agree with INIr. Gurney that there are probably two species 

 of the common Kite in India, as specimens vary so very much in 

 size, although they do not differ much in plumage ; and as to M. 

 ater being found in India, all I can say is, that in the hilly and 

 jungle portions of the IMaunbhoom district, about the villages of 

 Maknu and Chalta in the perguunah of Ambekanuggur, I repeatedly 

 observed, in 1865, a black Kite, which I was unable to procure; it 

 certainly was more of a Kite than an Eagle, and was not the Neopus 

 malaiensis, or Black Eagle, which I had previously observed at Dar- 

 jeeling. Milvus govinda extends up to Simla, in the north-west Hi- 

 malaya, and is not so common at Umballah as in Lower Bengal. 

 It is essentially a migratory species, disappearing almost entirely 

 from the neighbourhood of Calcutta during the rains. 



59. Elanus melanopterus, Daud. The Black-winged Kite. 



A specimen shot in the Mauubhoom district is probably referable 

 to this species. They were particularly abundant in the jungles to 

 the south of Umballah in November 1866, and might frequently be 

 seen hovering like a Kestril. Dimensions of a freshly killed spe- 

 cimen at Babyn, near Umballah — 



Length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Spread ft. Bill ft. Gape. Extent. 



12|in. 10^ in. 5 in. l;|in. 2|in. fin. If^in. 30|in. 



In one specimen the irides were reddish brown ; another (probably 

 an older bird) had them blood-red ; the cere and feet light yellow, 

 the latter with black claws ; the bill black ; the colour above is pale 

 ashy, with blackish upper wing-covcrts, and the feathers of the back 



