312 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



and rare species. Though the smallest of the three harriers 

 the proportionately long wings give an impression of size, and 

 Montagu's Harrier is not easy to distinguish from the Hen on 

 the wing. It has the same habits of closely quartering the 

 ground, swerving from, side to side, canting its wings, and 

 pouncing suddenly upon its quarry. When skimming over 

 reed-beds its flight, slow and uneven, is buoyant and easy ; 

 with uplifted wings it sails gracefully, its extended open 

 primaries rounding the otherwise pointed wings. Soaring 

 flights are common, the bird drifting in wide sweeps and circles 

 at a great altitude ; as it turns the light falls on its blue back 

 and dark flight feathers, reminding one of the Hen- Harrier, 

 but at close quarters the band on the wing and brown streaked 

 under parts are noticeable ; the pale red spotted thighs dis- 

 tinguish it from the male Hen-Harrier. The female, a brown 

 bird, and the immature of either sex, are difficult to identify, 

 though in the hand the absence of a notch on the outer web 

 of the fifth primary is a sure distinction. 



Montagu's Harrier reaches its breeding haunts in April, and 

 though now rare and thinly distributed is, normally, a gre- 

 garious bird, travelling in companies and, in Spain and North 

 Africa, where it is common, nesting in colonies. Even here 

 I have known of four pairs on one marsh, and have watched 

 two males quartering the ground at the same time. If undis- 

 turbed it remains throughout the summer, leaving in October 

 or even later. Its food is similar to that of other harriers, 

 though as a rule smaller game than that of the Hen ; it seldom 

 chases its victims unless they are disabled. Eggs and young 

 birds form a large proportion of its spring diet. During incuba- 

 tion the male waits on and feeds the female ; she often takes 

 food from him in the air. 



The nest varies in size and finish according to its situation ; 

 it may be on a moor, heather or gorse-clad common, rocky 

 waste or marsh ; not infrequently it is built in a cornfield. At 



