Bill moderate, compressed, with a long overhanging tip; culmen well curved, cutting edge slightly sinuate; wings long, extending beyond tip of tail; inner webs of primaries abruptly cut; tail nearly square; tarsus feathered in front for about half its length, the lower half with large transverse plates, its sides and back with variously shaped scales; claws strong and well curved.

191. HALIASTUR INTERMEDIUS Gurney.
MALAYAN BRAHMINY KITE.

La-uin′, Lubang, Manila; ba-nog′, Bohol, Ticao.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Steere Exp., McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Buluan off Mindanao (Mearns); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Murray, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Seale); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Malanipa (Murray); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Murray, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Celebes; Malay Peninsula; Greater Sunda Islands; Indo-Chinese Provinces.

Adult.—Entire head and neck, chin, throat, and breast white, with narrow black shaft-lines; rest of the plumage rich chestnut, the shafts blackish, the chestnut most intense on mantle and back; primaries black with light rufous bases; axillars and wing-lining chestnut; tail chestnut, tipped with gray. Length of male, 470; wing, 410; tail, 210; culmen from base, 35; tarsus, 53.

“Young.—Above deep brown, the interscapulary feathers inclining to dull maroon toward their tips, the rest of the feathers of the upper surface tipped with rufous, and most of them externally shaded with ashy gray; head and neck pale rufous, with buffy white centers and tips to the feathers, giving a streaked appearance, as in a young Milvus; forehead, lores, and sides of face white, with narrow black shaft-lines to the feathers; ear-coverts slightly washed with brown; chin whitish; rest of under surface pale rufous-brown, the shaft-stripes distinct, all the feathers with central streaks of buffy white, the chest-feathers darker, and washed with brown on both margins, thighs and under tail-coverts inclining to maroon; under wing-coverts and axillars clear brown, tipped with rufous or maroon, and centered with black shaft-streaks.” (Sharpe.)

“Extremely common. Frequently abundant about shipping in the harbors, where it feeds on refuse thrown overboard from the ships. Often seen feeding over surface of fresh-water streams as well. Not infrequently met with hawking over open fields at some distance inland.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

“An egg of the Malayan brahminy kite taken in Borneo is of an elongated elliptical form and plain white. Another, taken in the Philippine Islands, is white, minutely speckled all over with dark brown. Neither specimen shows any trace of gloss. They measure respectively: 49.5 by 35.5; 49.5 by 40.6.” (Oates.)