MARSH HARRIER. 383 



the neck short, the head of moderate size, and oblong. The 

 bill is short, about the same height and breadth at the base, 

 compressed toward the end ; the upper mandible with its dor- 

 sal outline sloping and nearly straight as far as the edge of the 

 cere, then decurved in the fourth of a circle, its ridge broad 

 and flattened on the cere, then convex, the sides rapidly de- 

 clinate and slightly convex, the festoon rather prominent, the 

 tip trigonal and acute ; the lower mandible with the angle 

 wide, the dorsal outline convex, the back broad and rounded, 

 the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip obliquely rounded. 



The eyes are large ; the eyelids feathered, and margined 

 with ciliary bristles ; the nostrils ovato-oblong, rather large, 

 with a ridge from the upper edge ; the aperture of the ear 

 broadly elliptical and of large size. The tarsi are feathered 

 anteriorly about a fourth of their length, rather slender, com- 

 pressed, with eighteen anterior scutella, about ten scutella be- 

 hind, and reticular scales on the sides. The toes are of mode- 

 rate length, covered above with scutella, unless toward the 

 base, there being five on the first toe, four on the second, fif- 

 teen on the third, and ten on the fourth ; the fourth toe a little 

 longer than the second, and connected with the third by a basal 

 web. The claws are long, curved in about the fifth of a circle, 

 tapering to a fine point ; the first and second largest, the third 

 with a thin edge. 



The plumage is soft and blended, rather compact on the back 

 and wings, somewhat glossy ; the feathers ovate and rounded. 

 The ruff, although formed as in the other species, is very incon- 

 spicuous. The loral spaces and sides of the cere are covered with 

 bristle-tipped plumelets, which partially conceal the nostrils. 

 The wings are long, broad, and much rounded ; the primary 

 quills strong, the outer four cut out on both webs ; the fourth 

 longest, the third only two twelfths of an inch shorter, the first 

 and sixth about equal ; the secondary quills thirteen, broad, 

 and rounded. The tail is long, of considerable breadth, slightly 

 rounded. 



The bill is brownish-black, at the base tinged with yellow ; 

 the irides orange ; the cere greenish-yellow ; the tarsi and toes 

 rich yellow, the claws brownish-black. The general colour of 



