376 CIRCUS CYANEUS. 



autumn of the year after it leaves the nest, and not in the same 

 year." 



A specimen in my collection, which was shot in October, 

 and which retains a few brown feathers on the head, ruff, and 

 wings, several of the coverts of the latter being spotted with 

 light red, shews the second plumage of the male. The general 

 colour is light bluish-grey ; the scapulars and many of the 

 feathers of the back dark greyish-brown toward the end, as 

 are the extremities of the inner secondaries ; the upper tail- 

 coverts are pure white ; the tail is light grey, with seven faint 

 dusky-grey narrow bars, unless on the middle feathers. The 

 blue of the lower parts gradually fades into white behind ; the 

 lower wing-coverts are white ; but some of them are very 

 faintly barred with grey, as are the axillary feathers and some 

 of those of the sides, and the lower tail-coverts have a small 

 roundish spot of the same near the end. 



The females undergo little change as they advance in age, 

 their dark brown parts merely acquiring a greyish tinge, the 

 light red fading into greyish-yellow, and the bars on the wings 

 and tail becoming narrower. The tail-feathers, quills, and 

 larger coverts of the males, are covered with a velvety down, 

 "when new, and those of old females are so in a less degree ; 

 but the first plumage of both sexes has the surface bare and 

 glossy. 



Remarks. — I have carefully compared specimens of the 

 American Marsh Hawk with several of our Hen-Harrier, and 

 have not observed any difterence of size, proportions, or colour, 

 on which to found a specific distinction, in adult males, or in 

 young males, or adult and young females. But in males pass- 

 ing into the adult state, there are markings such as I have not 

 seen in European specimens, the feathers of the lower parts 

 being white, with several spots of light red along their centre, 

 these spots on the sides of the body and on the tibise assuming 

 the appearance of transverse bars. If European individuals be 

 found to present this character, I think there can be no reason- 

 able doubt as to the specific identity of these birds, which 

 moreover agree in their internal characters, at least in those 



