FALCONIDE. 29 
been killed in this county, were young birds in their 
first year’s plumage, in which state they generally 
go by the name of “‘ Black Hawks.” 
The food of the Marsh Harrier appears to consist 
principally of water birds, animals and reptiles: eggs 
may also be added to the bill of fare. 
The nest is formed of small sticks, rushes or long 
grass : it is placed on the ground amongst long coarse 
grass, in a bunch of rushes, fern or furze, or at the 
base of a bush.* 
This bird is a considerable time before it appears 
in full adult plumage, as will appear from the fol- 
lowing descriptions :—In the young bird of the year 
the whole of the plumage is chocolate-brown, the 
feathers tipped with lighter reddish brown. In the 
second year the head, neck, chin and throat become 
dull. yellow, with an occasional patch of the same on 
the carpus or anterior point of the wing: itis in this 
state of plumage that Bewick has represented the 
Marsh Harrier, under the name of the ‘‘ Moor Buz- 
zard.” Inthe adult male the beak is bluish black; 
cere and irides yellow; the top of the head, cheeks 
and nape of the neck yellowish white, tinged with 
rufous and streaked with dark brown; the back wing- 
coverts and tertials dark reddish brown, with hghter 
margins; the primaries brownish black; the second- 
aries and all the tail-feathers ash-grey: this state of 
* Marrell; voli, ps. LO6. 
