Vol. xxxiii.] 90 



form of the Keel Kite, as is proved by the colour of the 

 head, neck, upper-back, Aving-coverts, chest, and tail, as well 

 as by the greater length of the latter. The middle rectrices 

 are generally crossed by 8 or 9 greyish-black bars, and the 

 length of the fork of the tail does not exceed 40 mm. (as 

 compared with 70-85 in M. m. milvus). The underside is 

 browner than in M. in. milvus, but not so brown as in 

 M. migrans; the bases of the primary-quills are white. 



c? . Wing 445-460 mm. ; tail 285-300. 



? . Wing 475-490 mm. ; tail 310-320. 



Hab. Cape Verde Islands. 



Type in the Tring Museum : $ . Santo Antao, Cape Verde 

 Islands, 12. xii. 97. Boyd Alexander coll. 



Obs. There are two skins of this Kite in the Tring 

 Museum and seven in the British Museum, which I have 

 examined. This bird is resident in the Cape Verde Islands, 

 and nests on rocks. 



Dr. E. Hartert further pointed out that the Kites hitherto 

 known as Milvus agyptius were by no means all of the same 

 form, but that the Egyptian race, the true Milvus mgyptius, 

 was a larger bird, with much more rufous on the head, 

 neck, rump, and upper wing-coverts ; the tail more or less 

 cinnamon -rufous ; and the abdomen always rufous. On the 

 other hand, the birds from South and Tropical Africa were 

 smaller and much browner, the underside not always rufous, 

 and the tail always of a greyish-brown, instead of rufous ; 

 the head, neck, and wing-coverts were also darker. For 

 this darker form the name 



Milvus jEgyptius parasitus Daud., 

 based on Levaillant's "Parasite" from South Africa, was 

 available. 



The true M. aegyptius ranged southwards, sometimes, 

 perhaps in winter only, to South Arabia and Somaliland. 

 A bird from Mt. Kenya appeared to be intermediate, like 

 some of those from Somaliland. 



Mr. E. Bidwell exhibited two photographs of an egg of 

 the Great Auk, now in the collection of the Comte de 



