An adult male from the Volga, killed in April, measures
about twenty-two inches in length ; the wing from the anterior
bend to the end of the longest quill (the third) about
seventeen inches ; the tail ten inches and a half. The beak
is black, the lower mandible yellowish at the base ; the cere
and lips orange. Iris pale greyish-yellow, surrounded by a
black line. The head, throat and neck are of a dirty white,
each feather with a longitudinal streak of dark brown, which
is very narrow on the front feathers, but increases in breadth
further backwards, the appearance of the whole at a little distance
being grey. Back and upper wing-coverts of a deep
hair-brown, with a slight purplish metallic gloss: the feathers
darker near the shaft and lighter at the edges, the greater
wing-coverts especially so. The quills and particularly the
primaries and tertials dark reddish-brown, almost black, the
last with purple reflexions. The tail above much the same
colour as the back, the inner webs being lighter, and barred
more or less distinctly with dark brown. The chest and breast
of a dull clove-brown, each feather with a dark median stripe,
which is bordered by a narrow line of dirty white ; belly,
flanks and under tail-coverts deep ferruginous, each feather
with a dark line along the shaft. The lower side of the wings
tinged with rufous. The tail beneath of a light brownisli-
grey, mottled and barred with a darker shade. Legs and toes
yellow ; claws, black. The female is somewhat larger, and
of a darker and often redder colour.
The young have the iris dark, but greatly resemble the
parent's, except in wanting the grey head, and having their
plumage more mottled— each feather being terminated by a
light-coloured patch, which in some examples is of a greyish-
white, in others ferruginous, and the bands of the tail arc less
distinct. Mr. Gurney is of opinion that examples from South
Africa do not possess the grey head, and thereby much resemble
the Australian and Eastern Milvus affinis. I t may
hence be inferred, perhaps, that South Africa is only visited
by young birds in their first plumage.
Natjclerus furcatus (Linnaeus*).
THE SWALLOW-TAILED KITE.
Nauclerus furcatus.
Nauclerus, Vigorsf .— “ Bill small, weak, considerably hooked, with a small
and nearly obsolete festoon in th e middle. Orbits and sides of th e head thinly
provided with feathers. Wings very long ; th e first an d second quill internally
emarginate towards th e tip . Tail very long and deeply forked. Tarsi very short,
not longer than th e h in d toe and claw ; plumed half way in front, th e remaining
portion covered with angulated scales. Toes s h o r t; th e two la teral almost equal,
the hinder nearly equal to the inner. Claws grooved beneath. Swainson %•
Two specimens of this bird having been apparently taken
in this country, it is, in the opinion of some persons, entitled
to a place in this work. The first of these two examples
occurred at Ballachulish in Argylesliire in 1772, and is
recorded by the late Dr. Walker, Professor ol Natural
History in the University of Edinburgh, in his manuscript
journal or ‘Adversaria ’ for that year, the fact having been
first published by Fleming in his ‘ History of British
* Falco furcatus, Linnmus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. 129 (1766).
f Zoological Journal, ii. p. 386 (1825).
i Natural History and Classification of Birds, ii. p. 210.