MARSH HARRIER. 



93 



low; 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 lighter margins ; the primaries brownish black ; 

 the secondaries and all the tail-feathers ash grey. This 

 state of plumage is not assumed till the third moult. In 

 birds that are still older, the wing-coverts and tertials in 

 addition become partially or entirely ash grey ; the wing- 

 primaries slate grey ; the chin and throat nearly white ; 

 the breast rufous, streaked longitudinally with dark brown ; 

 belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, reddish brown, each 

 feather streaked with dark brown ; the legs long, slender, 

 and yellow ; the toes yellow ; the claws sharp and black. 



In young birds of the year, the whole of the plumage is 

 chocolate brown ; the feathers tipped with lighter reddish 

 brown : the irides at this age are darker in colour than in 

 the adult bird ; the legs and feet as in old birds. 



In the second year, the head, neck, chin, and throat be- 

 come dull yellow, with an occasional patch of the same colour 

 on the carpus, or anterior point of the wing. The figure by 

 Mr. Bewick represents a bird in its second year. 



Duck Hawk, Harpy, and White-headed Harpy, are names 

 occasionally bestowed on the Marsh Harrier. 



