i88 



FALCOX AND EAGLE GROUP 



secondaries, chocolate-red inner secondaries, and dusky primaries); 

 the tail, as already stated, t^rey ; under-parts buff, striped with brown 

 on the breast, and with chestnut on the abdomen ; and the legs 

 feathered far down. In the hen the colour is brown above and 

 chocolate-brown below, the head being, however, buff streaked with 

 brown, and the lesser wing-covcrts at the bend of the wing creamy 

 white. Young birds, in addition to the features already mentioned, 

 are characterised by the uniformly chocolate breast, except for a buff 

 patch in the centre, and the absence of grey on the wing-coverts and 

 secondary quills. 



Such is the general type of colouring ; it should, however, be 



MAKSII-IIAKUIKK (MALE). 



mentioned that, in addition to the changes dependent upon age, the 

 marsh-harrier, like the buzzard, is liable to a considerable amount of 

 individual variation in the matter of the colour of the plumage. 

 Possibly this may be accounted for by the species being in a state of 

 " unstable equilibrium " in this respect ; for there can be little doubt 

 that in this harrier we have an instance of the first stage towards the 

 development of a completely grey plumage in both sexes, that colour 

 occurring only on the tail and wings of the adult males. Nothing 

 would be more likely, on the assumption that grey is an advantage, 

 than that there should be individual variation in regard to its degree 

 of development. 



The distribution of the marsh-harrier is practically the same as 

 that of the preceding species, extending as far east as Turkestan and 



