MARSH-HARRIER. 125 
Baikal eastwards, and probably also in Japan and North China. It winters 
in South China, the Philippine Islands, and the Malay Peninsula, and 
would seem accidentally to wander into Europe. It is evidently a nearly 
adult male of this species that Dresser has figured in his ‘ Birds of 
Europe’ as the adult male Marsh-Harrier. The example from which this 
figure was drawn was obtained by Messrs. Danford and Harvie-Brown in 
Transylvania, whither it had probably strayed from Lake Baikal—birds 
from this district having apparently a great propensity to turn up unex- 
pectedly in Heligoland and various parts of Europe. It is probable that 
the two species interbreed, as intermediate forms, with the thighs white 
streaked longitudinally with chestnut, occur both in Europe and North 
India. Other nearly allied species occur in South Africa, Australia, 
and South America. 
The large fen-districts in the eastern counties of England, which 
have within the past few centuries been drained, and their willows and 
rushes obliged to give place to corn and pasture, tell most plainly the 
history of the Marsh-Harrier’s disappearance. In the days when 
this low-lying country was a reed-covered tract the Marsh-Harrier, in 
common with the Stork and the Avocet and many other birds now of 
extreme rarity, was a well-known bird. The Marsh-Harrier is never seen 
in the mountainous districts. It is a bird of the plains; and its haunts 
are almost invariably low swampy districts, the banks of rivers and lakes, 
inundated fields, and wet meadow-land. It is especially fond of marshes, 
but is never seen in woods. The Marsh-Harrier is usually seen passing 
slowly over its swampy haunts a few feet from the earth, quartering the ground 
much as a well-trained dog searching for game. Its flight is somewhat 
slow and laboured, performed with measured beats of the wings, varied 
by gliding motions as it surveys the ground below. It will beat over its 
hunting-ground, returning backwards and forwards as if diligently search- 
ing every spot likely to contain its prey. Now and then it is seen to drop 
somewhat slowly to the earth to secure a frog or mole, which it will either 
eat at once or convey to some distance. The Marsh-Harrier is said 
seldom to perch on trees; but I have repeatedly seen it so doing, as well 
as sitting on large stones and fences, and sometimes on the ground. It is, 
however, a bird that is rarely seen at rest, mostly on the wing, and is said 
to roost upon the ground amongst reeds. Although the Marsh-Harrier 
possesses great power of flight, still it is either incapable of taking birds 
upon the wing or never chooses to exert its power in this respect. It will 
take a sitting bird which it has surprised, or it will strike the wounded and 
weakly birds and animals, but it never flies them down like a Falcon or a 
Hawk. Birds and animals that can be seized upon the ground, together 
with birds’ eggs and insects, form the Marsh-Harrier’s favourite fare. As 
a robber of birds’ eggs the Marsh-Harrier seems to be too well known; 
