ASH-COLOUhK.") HARRIER. 237 



quill about fourteen inches and three quarters. 

 The upper parts are the same tint of umber brown 

 seen in the Ringtail, the feathers on the crown 

 edged with reddish, on the nape and scapulars 

 with yellowish white; on the tail, there is a greater 

 preponderance of red on the bars of the outer 

 feathers, and the lower parts from the breast 

 downwards ; the thighs, insides of the wings and 

 axillaries, are streaked and barred with a reddish 

 brown nearly as clear as that of the male, but ap- 

 pearing more dull in appearance from the less pare 

 tint of the ground colour. The intensity of the 

 colouring in these birds varies, some are like 

 the one now described, while others have the 

 tint of the upper parts very dark, glossed with 

 purple, and nearly without interruption from 

 pale edges to the feathers. The under parts also 

 vary much, for in the specimen of the female 

 described by Mr Selby, the lower parts are said 

 to be " orange brown, without spot or streak" 

 This is a character very constant in the African 

 birds known under the name of 0. ranivorus, 

 where the reddish tint also extends to the gene- 

 rally conspicuous tail coverts. 





