I very often observed it flying above the tops of the highest trees, and where it appeared to be hawking about for insects; it was also sometimes to be seen perched upon the dead and leafless branches of the gums, particularly such as were isolated from the other trees of the forest, whence it could survey all around.
While under the Liverpool range I shot a young bird of this species that had not long left the nest; which proves that it had been bred within the colony of New South Wales, but I could never obtain any information respecting the nest and eggs.
The sexes closely assimilate to each other in colouring. The young differ in having the feathers of the upper surface tipped with buffy-brown.
The adults have the eye encircled by a narrow ring of black; forehead, sides of the face and under surface of the body pure white; back of the neck, back, scapularies, and upper tail-coverts delicate grey; a jet-black mark commences at the shoulders, and extends over the greater portion of the wing; under surface of the shoulders pure white, below which an oval spot of jet black; primaries dark grey above, brownish black beneath; tail greyish white; bill black; cere and legs pale yellow; irides reddish orange.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.
ELANUS INSCRIPTUS: Gould.
J. Gould and H. C. Richter, delt. C. Hullmandel Imp.
ELANUS SCRIPTUS, Gould.
Letter-winged Kite.
Elanus scriptus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., June 28, 1842.
I have nothing more to communicate respecting this new species of Elanus, than that I found a single specimen of it among a collection of skins that had been sent from South Australia. In size it considerably exceeds the Black-shouldered Kite, from which it also differs in the colouring of the upper surface, which is much darker and washed with reddish brown, the same part in the other species being delicate grey; the principal character, however, by which it may be distinguished, not only from its Australian relative, but from every other member of the genus yet discovered, is the great extent of the black mark on the under surface of the wing, which following the line of the bones from the body to the pinion, assumes when the wing is spread the form of the letter V, or if both wings are seen at the same time that of a W, divided in the centre by the body; which circumstance has suggested the specific name I have applied to it.