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Head, or crown only, pale or white. 

 Upper neck has indistinct ruff of stiff 

 feathers. Secondaries ash grey. Wings 

 reach nearly to the end of the tail. 

 General color of the plumage red brown. 



At more advanced age, head and 

 throat become ochreous yellow and 

 tertiaries become grey. 



The plumage varies considerably in 

 different specimens. 



Females similar to the males but a 

 little darker. 



Distribution. — Europe and Asia. 

 Winter visitant in the Yangtse Valley. 

 More common in North than in South 

 China. 



The following are also recorded as 

 having been observed in the Yangtse 

 Valley :— 



Circus spilonotus Kaup., Eastern 

 Marsh Harrier. 



C. melanoleucus (Pennant), The Pied 

 Harrier. 



C. macrurus (Gmel.), The Pale 

 Harrier. 



C. pygargus (L.), Montagu's Harrier. 



Sub-Family, Buteonloae, the Buzzards. 



The name Buzzard, which in Amer- 

 ica has been commonly applied to the 

 Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), is 

 used in a broad sense for a group of 

 large birds, of heavy, compact build, 

 and rather sluggish habits as compared 

 with other Birds of Prey. 



Buzzards have been commonly placed 

 next to the Eagles, with which they 

 have many points in common, but, 

 among other things, they differ in 

 assuming the adult plumage after the 

 first moult, while the Eagles require 

 several years to acquire full plumage. 



