PLATE XXXIII. 



GENUS ELAN US (Savigny). 



MEMBERS of the genus Elanus inhabit Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, and two are 

 also found in Australia. 



ELANUS AXILLARIS. 



BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE. 



THE north coast of Australia is the chief home of this bird, but it also, during the summer, visits 

 the more southern portions, never, however, going as far south as Tasmania. 



It remains generally in the air, where it captures many insects, which, together with reptiles, 

 constitute its food. It is thus a great benefit to the districts which it visits, as, during the hot 

 weather, it rids them of a large number of noxious insects, which would otherwise become almost 

 intolerable. 



The female is very similar in colouring to the male. 



The forehead and under surface are white ; a line over the eye, and a mark extending from 

 the shoulder over the greater portion of the wings are black ; upper surface, light grey ; wings and 

 tail, darker grey ; irides, orange ; bill, black ; feet, yellow. 



Habitats : North coast of Australia, and, during the summer, the southern portion also. 



ELANUS SCETPTUS (Gould). 



LETTER-WINGED KITE. 



IT is rather curious to note to what trivial circumstances a great many birds owe their names. 

 The present species, for instance, was called Letter-winged Kite from the fact that, when the 

 wing is extended, the black mark on the upper surface of the wing resembles a V. 



It is found in the interior of Australia, associating in companies of from twenty to thirty. 

 Besides the insects and reptiles on which its congener, Elanus Axillaris, subsists, it also feeds on rats, 

 bandicoots, and other small animals. Some time after feeding, it ejects from its stomach small round 

 pellets, composed of the fur of the animals which it has eaten. These pellets are used to line 

 the nest, which is outwardly constructed of sticks. 



