THE MARSH HARRIER 149 



it from Asia Minor across Turkestan and Siberia 

 to North China and the Japanese Islands in 

 summer, and in winter southwards to India and 

 South China. The presence of an allied form in 

 Asia renders the definition of its limits in this 

 direction extremely difficult. 



The Marsh Harrier well deserves its name. It 

 is a dweller in the wilderness of swamps, fens, 

 wet moors, and marshy lands, and the inundated 

 banks of slow-running rivers and weed-choked 

 meres. In common with its congeners, it possesses 

 the habit of beating to and fro in slow and some- 

 what laboured flight over these swampy wastes 

 in quest of food, seldom pursuing its quarry like 

 a Hawk, but dropping down upon it unawares. 

 It is fond also of sitting on walls, big stones, or 

 even trees, whence it frequently sallies to capture 

 prey. It spends a great part of its time in the 

 air, possessing enduring wing-power, which, how- 

 ever, is rarely exerted beyond a slow and measured 

 flapping, the bird all the time intent on scan- 

 ning every inch of the ground below. We have 

 watched it thus for a long time passing up and 

 down over a comparatively small extent of marsh 

 in eager quest. Its habit of attending sportsmen 

 and carrying off" dead or wounded birds under the 



