270 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIAXA. 



170. Elanus leucurus. 

 White-tailed Kite. 



Milvus Jeucurus Yieill. X. Diet. cl'Hist. Nat. xx. p. 563, 1818 (Paraguay). 



Elanus leucurus Cab. in Schomb. Keis. Guian. iii. p. 735, 1848 ; 

 Sbarpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 339, 187-4 (Demerara) ; Salvin, Ibis, 

 1886, p. 76 (Eoraima, 3500 ft.) ; Quelcli, Timehri (2) \i. p. 137, 

 1892; Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 72, no. 661, 1912. 



" Hawk Buss," " Grey Kite " (Quelch). 



Adult male. General colour above ash-grey ; lesser upper wing- 

 coverts dull blackish ; inner edge of inner webs of primaries dusky 

 brown ; inner webs of secondary quills paler and inclining to 

 white ; tail for the most part white with dark shafts to the 

 feathers, the two middle feathers gi'ey; eyelid and feathers in 

 front of the eye black; forehead, throat, and under surface white; 

 the median series of the under wing-coverts blackish. 



Total length 350 mm., culmen (including the cere) 23, wing 302, 

 tail 1G3, tarsus 38, midille toe and claw 38. 



The McDonnell collection does not possess an example of this 

 species. Of the specimens described, which are in the British 

 Museum, the adult male was collected at the Lake of Valencia, 

 Venezuela, in October 18G8, by A. Goering, and the immature 

 male was collected at Mount Roraima, 3000 ft., in January 1884, 

 by H. Whitely — Salvin-Godman collection. 



Immature male. Differs from the adult in being rusty brown 

 on the hinder portion of the head, back, and scapulars, the 

 feathers all being margined with white, as well as the tips of 

 the primary and secondary quills, while those on the breast have 

 pale rufous shaft-lines, giving a streaked appearance. 



Breeding-season. Unknowm in British Guiana. 



Nest. Composed of twigs and built in tall trees (ScJiomhurgk). 



J^ggs. Undescribed froni British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Mount Roraima, 3500 ft. ( Wlntely) ; 

 Savannas (^Schomhxtrgh). 



E-rtralimital Range. South America generally. Central America, 

 and Southern North America. 



Habits. According to Schou)burgk (Reis. Guian. iii, p. 735) 

 this bird is common on the Savannas, where it.s favourite look-out 

 is a solitaiT tree on the edge o*^ the oasis^ from which it can survey 

 the surroundings. He often saw its nest, which was composed of 

 twigs and built in tall trees. It preys on small birds and 

 amphibia. The '"^lacusis" and the "Arekunas^' call it JIarauia. 



