MiLvas. 91 



Lengih.~20 to 23 inches, wing lS-5 to 19, tail 13, tarsus 2-25. 



Bab. — Tfaroughout India. A resident scavenger. Breeds in Sind 

 on house tops, old mosques, and flat-roofed buildings, — seldom on 

 trees, — during January, February, and March. It occurs also in 

 Beloochistan, Afghanistan, and Nepanl. 



Milvus melanotis. Tern, et Schleg. Faun. Jap. ; Blanford, J. A. 

 S. B. 1872, p. 153; Gray, Gen. Birds, i. p. 24; S.F.i. p. 160, iii. 229; 

 Sharpe, Gat. Ace. Br. Mun. p. 324; Murray, Zool., ^-c, Sind, p. 116. 

 Milvus major, Hume, RonghNotes, ii. p. 326.— The Laegk Paeiah Kite. 



Adult Male. — Above dark chocolate brown, all the feathers distinct- 

 ly streaked down the centre with black ; the wing-coverts a little paler 

 brown; the lesser series washed with rufous, all with distinct black 

 shaft-stripes. Greater coverts and quills dark brown, the secondaries 

 paler browu, the primaries blackish, all the quills distinctly white at 

 the base of the inner web, and sometimes mottled with brown. Tail 

 i-ather pale brown, the centre feathers with a slight rufous tinge and 

 distinctly barred with darker brown ; these bars are distinct on the 

 inner web only of the other feathers, Under surface of tail brown- 

 ish ashy, the bars more or less distinct. Lores, forehead, cheeks 

 and throat white, with distinct shaft-lines of dark brown ; ear-coverts 

 dark brown; throat white tinged with rufous on the lower part. Breast 

 deep rufous brown, shading into clear rufous on the abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts ; the feathers on the breast margined lighter with 

 broad central dark streaks. Under wing-coverts dark brown, dashed 

 with rufous; the lower ones ashy brown, notched or barred with white 

 on their inner webs. Cere pale greenish yellow.. Bill horn black. 

 Feet dull yellow. Irides reddish brown. 



Length. — 25'5 inches, wing 21, tail 13'2, tarsus 2'5. 



There is yet a set controversy in regard to the distinctness of this 

 species from M. govinda. Mr. Edwin Brooks, in vol. iv. S. F., says that 

 from an examination of the type of M. govinda, in the South Kensington 

 Museum, he concludes that M. melanotis (T. and S. ) and M. major 

 (Hume) must be considered as synonyms of M. govinda (Sykes). 

 Schlegel again unites melanotis and govinda, but Mr. Hume holds that 

 the pure white wing patch of major distinguishes it equally from 

 m,elanotis, govinda and affinis, a third species found in India, also by 

 its larger size. 



The following comparative measurements are given by Mr. Hume : — 



Wing, Male. Wing, Female. 



M. govinda 17-5 to 18 18 to 19'5 



M. major 19 to 20-5 19-45 to 21 



M. affinis 16 to 17-5 17 to 17-75 



Hab. — Throughout India, Japan, and China; also Nepauland Eastern 

 Turkistan. 



Gen. Elanus. — Savigny. 



Bill small, ridge (without cere) greater than half of middle toe, 

 without claw ; tip much hooked and lengthened ; edge of upper 



