190 Mr. Montagu's Remains on Falco cyaneus, 



have dusky-black on the outer webs towards their middle, form- 

 ing a small bar ; whereas it will be now observed, this visible 

 bar on the wing above is on the secondary quills, and not on 

 the coverts. 



The bird from which the above description is taken is a male : 

 it has the feathers behind the ears short, but no ruff continued 

 round the head, as in the Hen Harrier. It was in good con- 

 dition, and had in its stomach a sky-lark, and yet its weight 

 was not so much as that of the Hen Harrier by three or four 

 ounces ; though its length and breadth are much superior, by 

 reason of its long wings and tail. It must also be remarked 

 that it appears to be at least a year old bird, as some of the 

 quills are moulting; the first and second feather of the se- 

 condary quills in each wing are not full grown, but are of the 

 same colour as the rest, and possess the same three bars. 



I am not enabled to offer any thing further on the synonyma 

 than what has been given in another place ; it differs a little, it 

 is true, from the Falco hi/emails*; but when it is considered how 

 little that species seems to be known, some allowance must be 

 made for want of a more minute description : there seem, how- 

 ever, some marks of such near affinity, that I trust it will here- 

 after be found the same. Whether this is migratory with us is 

 not at present to be fully determined ; the time of the year in 

 which this was shot is rather too early to induce a belief that it is 

 a winter migrant ; and the only one besides that which has come 

 under my inspection I think was killed in November, which in- 

 dicates a winter residence with us. It is, however, more pro- 

 bable that this species may be indigenous to us, and that it has 

 frequently been mistaken for a variety of the Hen Harrier. 



* Latham's Synopsis. 



Sylvia 



