FALCONID^ — MILVINJE: KITES. 
625 
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 tieecy-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 cere 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 whitish, spotted with dark brown 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 Wisconshi ; S. into Mexico ; replaced in Central and S. Am. by the related but 
quite distinct I. plumhea. Nest of sticks, etc., in trees ; eggs ? 
174. E'LANUS. (Lat. elanus, a kite.) Pearl 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 fest(jon, but slightly sinuate to the overhanging 
tip ; gonys about straight ; culmen less strongly convex than in Ictinia; nostrils subcircular, 
near middle 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 slight (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. Tail 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. 
492. E. glaucous. (Lat. glaucus, bluish.) Black-shouldered Kite. White-tailed Kite. 
Adult $ 9 • Upper parts pale bluish-ash; 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 loral 
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 tail-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. from 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. tiSoy, 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 narrow, acuminate lateral feathers being more than 
twice as long as the middle pair when full grown. Wings also very long, thin S,nd acute ; 
2d and 3d quills 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 scutellate 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 feathered on the sides ; 
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