Genus— M I L V U S. 
Milvus Baudin, Hist. Nat. BufEon, ed. Didot, Quadr., 
Vol. XIV., p. 221, 1802 .. .. .. .. Type M. milvus. 
(ex Lacepede, Tableau Oiseaux, p. 4, 1799 : nom. nud.) 
Hydroictinia Kaup, Classif. Saugeth. u. Vogel, p. 115, 
1844 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Type M. migrans. 
Also spelt — 
Hydrictinia, Heine and Richenow, Nomend. Mus. Hein., p. 264, 1890. 
Medium-sized Aquiline birds with short bills, long wings, very long forked 
tail, small legs and feet. 
The bill is short, rather elongately curved, with large cere ; the loreal 
bristles encroach but do not cover the nostrils, which are oblique ovals 
with internal bony tubercle : the lower edges of upper mandible slightly 
sinuated. 
The wing is long with the first primary short, about equal to seventh, 
the second shorter than the sixth, the third, fourth and fifth subequal. 
The tan is very long, more or less deeply forked, and more than half 
the length of the wing. 
The legs are short and the feet small : the tarsus feathered for half 
its length in front but not at the back ; a few broad scutes are seen in front, 
but otherwise the tarsal covering consists of reticulate scales. 
The toes are short, the middle toe less than the length of the tarsus. 
The Australian Kite would belong to Hydroictinia, but this seems 
unrecognisable, as the tail, though shorter, is still forked, and no other 
differences are superficially apparent. Anatomical examination might show 
greater differences between the subspecies of “ Hydroictinia ” than between 
“ Hydroictinia ” and Milvus. 
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