380 CIRCUS CINERACEUS. 



Female. — The female, which is considerably larger than the 

 male, has the bare parts coloured as in it, but the plumage very 

 similarly to that of the female of the Common Harrier, from 

 which however it may readily be distinguished by the bright 

 red streaks on the lower parts. The general colour of the 

 upper parts is dark umber-brown. The hind head and nape 

 are brownish-red, with dark-brown streaks ; some of the frontal 

 feathers, a band above, and one below the eye whitish ; the 

 cheeks dark brown. The rump and upper tail-coverts are 

 white, with brownish-red streaks. The quills are dark brown, 

 as are the middle tail-feathers ; but the rest have five bands of 

 a lighter brown. The lower parts are light red, or reddish- 

 orange, with longitudinal streaks of a deeper tint. 



Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 20 ; wing 

 from flexure loi ; tail 10 ; bill along the ridge 1 j\ ; tarsus 2-j\ ; 

 first toe -i^, its claw /^ ; middle toe 1/g, its claw ^12 • 



Habits. — Montagu's Harrier has been found in most of the 

 southern and eastern counties of England, but has not hitherto 

 been observed beyond Northumberland. Its habits are said to 

 be similar to those of the common species. Small birds and 

 lizards have been found in its stomach. Its nest is placed on 

 the ground, and it lays four or five bluish-white eggs, smaller 

 than those of the Hen-Harrier. The young, which, according 

 to Mr Jenyns, are hatched about the second week of June, are 

 at first covered with white down. Besides the fact of its occur- 

 ring on the continent from Poland southward, little more is 

 known of its history. I have never seen it alive, and the spe- 

 cimens above described were merely skins. 



Young. — Montagu has described a young male in its first 

 plumage as follows : — " The bill dusky : cere yellow : irides 

 so pale a yellow as to appear nearly white. The whole upper 

 part of the head ferruginous, with small dusky spots ; on the 

 hind head, and nape, a broken patch of white ; immediately 

 above and beneath the eye is a pale streak ; the coverts of the 

 ears, extending down to the lower mandible, are dark chocolate 

 brown : the quills the same ; the first three or four pale ferru- 



