FALCONID^ — MILVINM: KITES. 525 



web or on both webs. Forehead and tips of secondaries usually silvery-whitish ; concealed 

 white spots on the scapulars ; bases of feathers of head and under parts fleecy-white. Lores, 

 eyelids, and bill, including cere, black ; gape of mouth and feet, orange, the latter obscured on 

 the front of the tarsus, and along the tops of the toes ; iris lake-red. Feet and ccro drying to a 

 nameless dingy color. Length of $ about 14.00 ; extent .36.00 ; wing 10. .50-11. 50 ; tail 6.00- 

 6.50; tarsus 1.45; 9 about 15.00; wing 11.00-12.50; tail 6.50-7.00. Young: Head, neck 

 and under parts whitisli, spotted with dark broMTi or reddish-brown, excepting on the throat 

 and along a superciliary line ; lining of wings tawny, spotted with rusty-brown; upper parts 

 blackish, most of the feathers edged with tawny-white; quills tipped with white; tail black, 

 with about 3 pale ashy bands, and as many rows of white spots on the inner webs. Southern 

 U. S., regularly N. to South Carolina, Illinois and Indian Territory, casually to Pennsylvania, 

 Iowa, and Wisconsin ; S. into Mexico ; replaced in Central and S. Am. by the related but 

 quite distinct I. plumhea. Nest of sticks, etc., in trees ; eggs f 



1 74. E'LANUS. (Lat. elanus, a kite.) Peakl Kites. Related to the last ; general form and 

 aspect similar. Pattern of coloration entirely different. Bill rather weak and compressed, the 

 tomia of the upper mandible devoid of lobe or festoon, but slightly sinuate to the overhanging 

 tip ; gonys about straight ; culmen less strongly convex than in Ictinia; nostrils subcircular, 

 near midtUe of the moderate cere. Feet very small; tarsus feathered half-way down in front, 

 for the rest finely reticulate, like the tops of the toes to near their ends ; hind toe very short; 

 claws all small and little curved ; basal web between middle and outer toes sliglit (compare 

 feet of Ictinia). Wings nearly or about twice as long as tail ; pointed, 2d and 3d quills longest, 

 1st about equal to 4th, 1st and 2d emarginate on inner webs. Tad emarginate, but outer 

 feather shorter than the next, all the feathers broad to their obtusely-rounded ends. A small 

 genus of 4 or 5 species inhabiting the warmer parts of the world. 



493. E. glau'cus. (Lat. glaucus, bluish.) Black-shouldeked Kite. White-tailed Kite. 

 Adult $ 9 : Upper parts pale bluish-asli; most of the head, the whole tail, and entire under 

 parts, including lining of the wings, pure white ; lesser and middle wing-coverts black, forming 

 a great black area ; a patch on under wing-coverts, the shafts of most tail-feathers, and a hjral 

 spot, also black. The white of the under parts and middle tail-feathers often with a pearly 

 bluish cast. Bill and claws black ; cere and feet yellow or orange ; iris red or reddish. Length 

 16.00-17.00; extent 39.00-41.50; wing 12.50-13.50 ; tail 7.00-8.00 ; tarsus 1.30; middle toe 

 without claw about the same; 9 little larger than ^. Young marked with dusky and 

 reddish-brown, the wing-feathers white-tipped, the taU-feathers with a subterminal ashy bar. 

 In this species the tail is emarginate to a depth of about 0.50, the outer tail-feather also about 

 as much shorter than the next, which is the longest one. Southern U. S. fronr Atlantic to 

 Pacific ; N. to South Carolina, Illinois, Indian Territory, and Middle California ; S. through 

 Central and most of S. Am. ; common. With habits in general like those of the last species, 

 this elegant kite is stronger and more predaceous, preying upon small birds and quadrupeds as 

 well as insects and reptiles. It nests in trees and bushes; eggs 4-6, subspherical, 1.60 X 

 1.45, whitish, blotched and smirched with mahogany color. 



175. ELANOI'DES. (Lat. elanus, and Gr. e'Sos, eidos, resemblance.) Swallow-tailed Kites. 

 Prominently characterized by the extremely elongated and deeply forficate tail, the length of 

 which nearly equals that of the wing, the nan-ow, acuminate lateral feathers being more than 

 twice as long as the middle pair when fuU grown. Wings also very long, thin and acute ; 

 2d and 3d quiUs forming the point ; 1st about equal to 4th ; 1st and 2d emarginate on inner 

 webs. Feet very short, but stout ; tarsus feathered about \ way down in front, elsewhere 

 irregularly reticulate; toes mostly scuteUate on top, but reticulate toward their bases, granular 

 and padded underneath ; claws short, stout, strongly arcuate, scooped out underneath, with sharp 

 edges, that of the middle dilated. Bill rather weak, with moderately convex culmen and small 

 cere ; the cutting edge festooned. Nostrils oval, oblique. Head closely feafliered on the sides ; 



