BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE. 
The genus Elanus is a peculiar one, from whatever point of view it 
is studied. Five forms are recognised occurring all over the world, two of 
which are confined to Australia. This is very suggestive, but the results of 
examination of the whole of the forms are not conclusive. Thus, if they are 
laid out, we see : 
E. cceruleus Desfontaines . . 
E. hypoleucus Gould 
E. scriptus Gould 
E. notatus Gould 
E. leucurus Vieillot 
Africa, S.E. Europe, Asia to India and 
Ceylon. 
Java, Borneo, Celebes, Philippines. 
Australia. 
Australia. 
Southern North America and South 
America. 
All show the same upper coloration, varying in shade only, having the 
same greyish to white tails and the same black shoulder-patch more or less 
extensive. When laid on the backs, all are white underneath, but show slight 
differences if the inside of the wing be looked at. Then : 
E. ccBTuleus has pure white inner wing-coverts, the inner webs of the 
primaries black. 
E, hypoleucus has pure white inner wing-coverts, the inner webs of the 
primaries white. 
E. scriptus has a black patch along the median inner wing-coverts, the 
axillaries also black and the inner webs of the primaries greyish- 
white. 
E. notatus has the black patch less extensive, the axillaries white, and the 
inner webs of the primaries black. 
E. leucurus agrees with E. notatus^ but is slightly larger and darker. 
In almost any other genus such differences would only be considered 
of subspecific value, but the distribution shows we are here dealing with a 
very ancient form and that the slight differences must be considered ak of 
specific value. This is confirmed by the fact that two forms live together 
in Australia, and these two forms are very close indeed. Thus the South 
American species is almost indistinguishable from the commonest Australian 
one, though the species occurring geographically nearest Australia is most 
distinct from either of the Australian ones. 
After making the above examination and notes I referred to Gurney and 
found in the Ihis, 1879, pp. 331-336, a long detailed discussion of these birds 
from which I extract the following notes : “ Mr. Sharpe, very properly as 
it seems to me, does not admit E. minor of Bonaparte as specifically, or 
even subspecifically distinct from E. cceruleus, and though variations of size 
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