MILVUS GOVINDA, Sykes.

Govinda Kite.

Milvus Govinda, Sykes in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc., Part II. p. 81.—Gray and Mitch. Gen.
of Birds, vol. iii. App. p. 2, App. to p. 24 of vol. i—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 21, Mtlvus, sp. 2.—
List of Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., Part I. 2nd edit., p. 43.

—— @heele, Jerdon in Madras Journ. of Lit. and Sci., vol? x. p. 71.

— melanotis, Temm. et Schlegel, Faun. Japon. Aves, p. 14. tab. v. ?

— indicus vel Cheela, Hodgs. in Gray’s Zool. Misc. 1844, p. 81.

— Cheela, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 24, Milvus, sp. 3.

—— melanotis, Ib., Milvus, sp. 6.

—— (Hydroictinia) govinda, Kaup, Isis 1847, p. 119.

Haliaétus lineatus, Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool., pl. 18.

Falco Cheela, Lath. Ind. Orn., i. p. 14 ?—Daud. Orn., ii. p. 41 ?—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. Vil. p. 69?

Cheela Falcon, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., p. 33 ?

Cheela Eagle, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. i. p. 145?

Cheel, of the Hindoos.

Common or Pariah Kite, of the European residents in India.

 

Tuts fine species of true Kite appears to be very generally dispersed over the Peninsula of India from
Madras to the base of the Himalayas, performing the same offices there that the AZeus affinis does in
Australia and the Milous ater in Europe. Like its Australian prototype, it is a bold and fearless bird, the
presence of man, in his wanderings through the country, at all times attracting its presence.

I cannot for a moment consider this bird in any other light than as specifically different from the AZ. ater
of Europe and the JZ. affnis of Australia; in my opinion they form three very distinct species, of which the
M. Govinda is by far the largest and finest. The accompanying drawing was made from specimens collected
by Captain Boys, and which now form part of the fine collection at Philadelphia.

‘This very useful bird,” says Mr. Jerdon, ‘‘ is very numerous, more especially in cantonments, camps
and villages, and is continually upon the look-out for refuse of every description; Colonel Sykes says,
‘ Constantly soaring in the air in circles, watching an opportunity to dart upon a chicken, upon refuse animal
matter thrown from the cook-room, and occasionally even having the hardihood to stoop at a dish of meat
carrying from the cook-room to the house.’ Away from the cantonments it preys chiefly on reptiles, and
is also remarkably fond of fish.

Considerable difference occurs in the colouring of the young and old birds, the youthful plumage being
characterized by a much greater amount of white on the head and neck, as well as on the upper surface
generally, the white occupying the tips of the feathers of the upper surface and the margins of those of
the under surface, which therefore appears as conspicuously streaked with buffy white, as in the adult it
is with dark brown.

The entire head clothed with feathers, which are of a dark brown margined with white, giving it a
streaked appearance; all the upper surface very dark brown, becoming of a paler hue on the tips of the
wing-coverts ;_ tail brown, crossed by numerous irregular bars of a deeper colour; breast and abdomen of a
paler brown than the upper surface, with a broad streak of very dark brown, bounded on each side by a
narrow line of brownish white down the centre of each feather, giving the whole a conspicuously streaked
appearance ; vent, thighs and under tail-coverts rusty red, with a narrow line of dark brown down the shaft ;
irides dark brown; cere and base of lower mandible yellow, upper mandible and point of the lower black ;
legs and feet olive-yellow ; claws black.

The figures represent a young and an old bird about two-thirds of the natural size.