MONTAGU'S HARRIER. 379 



acute. The tarsi, which are long and slender, are feathered 

 anteriorly about a fourth down, and are covered in front with 

 about eighteen scutella, on the sides with reticular scales, be- 

 hind with twelve scutella. The toes are small, similar to those 

 of the common species, the first with eight, the second with 

 ten, the third with eighteen, the fourth with fourteen scutella. 

 The claws are of moderate length, well curved, slender, and 

 finely pointed. 



The plumage is very soft and blended, and the cervical ruff, 

 although less apparent than in the common bird, is similarly 

 formed. The wings are very long, rather narrow, rounded, 

 and when closed extend a little beyond the tail ; the third quill 

 is longest, exceeding the second and fourth by nearly an inch, 

 the first a little longer than the fifth ; the outer four primaries 

 with their inner webs sinuate toward the end ; the secondaries 

 broad, rounded, and slightly repand. The tail is long, straight, 

 and nearly even. 



The bill is black, the cere greenish yellow ; the iris bright 

 yellow, the tarsi and toes yellow, and the claws black. The 

 general colour of the upper parts is light greyish-blue, the sca- 

 pulars of a darker tint. The bristle-tipped plumelets of the 

 loral spaces and cere white at the base, black toward the end. 

 On the secondary quills are three transverse brownish-black 

 bands, of which only the last appears when the wings are 

 closed ; the outer seven primaries are black toward the end, 

 the first almost entirely so, and the seventh only tinged on 

 the outer web. The tail is light grey, which fades outwards 

 into white, and has four bands of a darker tint, becoming 

 brownish-red on the outer feathers. The fore-neck and part of 

 the breast are of the same bluish-grey as the back ; the rest of 

 the breast, the abdomen, and lower tail-coverts are white, each 

 feather with a light red longitudinal band ; the lower wing- 

 coverts also white, with reddish bars. 



Length to end of tail 17 inches, to end of wings 17^ ; wing 

 from flexure 15 ; tail 91 ; bill along the ridge 1 ; tarsus 2/^ ; 

 first toe 5, its claw j% ; second toe /^^ its claw ||j ; third 

 toe lj%, its claw ^\ ; fourth toe 1, its claw j\. 



