MARSH-HARRIER 387 



and the Isle of Wight, while Norfolk and Cambridge are other counties 

 where nests have been taken. A pair of these birds (at first supposed 

 to be marsh-harriers) nested in Surrey in 1907. Northumberland, 

 Yorkshire, Wales, and the Solway district in Scotland are also recorded 

 as localities where Montagu's harrier has occasionally nested ; but to 

 the north of England generally, and more especially Scotland, the 

 species is only a casual visitor. Erom Ireland only eight examples 

 were recorded up to the year 1900, all of which were obtained in or 

 near County Wicklow. 



Unlike the hen-harrier, the present species is onl}- a summer- 

 visitor to our country, a fact correlated, no doubt, with the circum- 

 stance that on the Continent its breeding-range does not extend so 

 far north as that of the former. Indeed, Montagu's harrier is evidently 

 a bird which enjoys warmth, as is demonstrated by the fact that two 

 out of the four sets of eggs in the national collection were taken 

 respectively in the latter part of June and the beginning of July. 

 On the other hand, three eggs from the Volga are stated to have been 

 taken in April. The greater part of Europe, Asia, and Africa come, at 

 one time or other, within the range of this migratory species, St. 

 Petersburg approximately making its northern, and Cape Colony its 

 southern limits. In such a central district as Spain it is a permanent 

 resident. Eastward it is known to extend to western Siberia, whence 

 it migrates in winter to China, India, and Ceylon. 



Owing to its relatively larger wings, Montagu's harrier is stated to 

 have a lighter and more owlish flight than its relatives ; while its only 

 other peculiarity appears to be that, in the Mediterranean countries at 

 any rate, it habitually nests in colonies in marshy situations. 



^ „ . The marsh-harrier, the third and last representative 

 Mapsn-HapriBP 



of the group with which we have to deal, agrees with 

 (Circus . 



, the hen-harrier in regard to the notching of the 

 sepugmosus). . .,, r ^, ■ , , •. •, j 



primary quills ot the wmg (as described under the 



heading of Montagu's harrier), but is a bird of considerably larger 



dimensions. Apart from this, the adult male may be recognised by a 



uniformly grey tail contrasting sharply with the chocolate body ; the 



female by her buff head, streaked with brown, and brown tail ; and 



the immature bird by the uniform colour of the inner webs of all the 



primary quills. To these leading characteristics it may be added that 



in the cock the head and throat are creamy white streaked with 



umber ; the upper-parts chocolate-brown, except for the wings (which 



have buffish-white lesser coverts, bluish-grey greater coverts and outer 



