156 



Gen. LXXV. ROSTRHAMUS Less. (1830). 

 Type by monotypy R. niger Less. =Herpelotheres sociabilis Vieill. 



Head not crested ; bill long and slender, the upper 

 mandible hooked, the cutting edges not festooned ; 

 nostrils narrow ovals, horizontal ; tail about half 

 as long as wing, nearly even. Size moderate. 



251. Rostrhamus sociabilis sociabilis (Vieill.), 

 N.D., xviii., p. 318 (1817). [S. America : 

 Corrientes et Rio de la Plata.] 

 Southern Everglade Kite. 

 [ =R. leucopygus (Spix.)]. 



Wing ad. 325-345 mm. ; entirely slaty 

 black, with a brownish shade on wings ; 

 base of tail and upper and under coverts 

 white ; rest of tail black, with subterminal 

 and subbasal brown borders, the tips 

 white ; bill black ; cere and feet yellow. 



•|-251a. Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus Ridgway.in 

 Baird, Brewer & Ridgway, Hist. N. Amer. 

 Birds, iii., p. 209 (1874). [Everglades, 

 Florida.] 

 Northern Everglade Kite. 



Larger ; wing ad. 348-368 mm. ; above 

 paler ; head and throat more plumbeous ; 

 vent paler, more brownish. 



S. America from 

 Argentina and 

 Peru to 

 Colombia. 



Florida, Cuba, 

 E. Mexico, 

 Central 

 America. 



Gen. LXXVI. HELICOLESTES Bangs & Penard (Bull. M.C.Z., 



Ixii., p. 38, 1918). 

 Type by orig. desig. Falco hamatus Illig. 



BiU longer and more slender ; upper mandible 

 hooked almost to a sickle shape. 



252. Helicolestes hamatus (Illiger) in Temm., PI. 

 Col., i., hvr. 2, pl. 61, 231 (June, 1821). 

 [Brazil, type in Leyden Mus.] 

 Slender-billed Kite. 

 [R. Ueniurus Cab. =iuv.] 



N. Brazil, 

 Colombia, 

 Dutch Guiana. 



