CIRCUS CINEREUS. 57 



Order VII. ACCIPITRES. 



Fam. XXXII. FALCONIOE, OR FALCONS. 



The diurnal birds of prey of the family Falconidse found in the Neo- 

 tropical Region number about 1 10 species, of which 22 are at present 

 known to occur within the limits of the present work. It is probable, 

 however, that many additional species of this group will be hereafter 

 added to the Argentine list. 



As is usually the case with the Accipitres, most of the species have 

 an extensive distribution. 



292. CIRCUS CINEREUS (Vieill.). 

 (CINEREOUS HARRIER.) 



Circus cinereus, Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 56 ; Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 186S, p. 143 

 (Buenos Ayres) ; iid. Nomencl. p. 118 ; Burm. La-Plata Heise, ii. p. 439 

 (Mendoza) j Scl. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 536 (Rio Negro) ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, 

 p. 38 (Patagonia) et p. 187 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 397 (Patagonia) ; 

 Gibson, Ibis, 1879, p. 411 (Buenos Ayres) ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 30 (Bahia 

 Blanca) ; Withington, Ibis, 1888, p. 469 (Lomas de Zamora). 



Description. Above bluish grey, with darker mottlings ; wing- coverts with 

 obsolete whitish edgings ; primaries blackish ; tail grey, with four black cross 

 bands, and tipped with white : beneath, throat and neck like the back ; abdomen 

 thickly banded with white and rufous bars ; under wing-coverts white ; bill 

 black ; feet yellow ; nails black : whole length 18'0 inches, wing 12-0, tail 8*2. 

 Female : rather larger ; above dark brown, with lighter brown spots and 

 edgings ; throat and fore neck like the back ; wings beneath with black cross 

 bahds. 



Hab. Southern portion of South America. 



This Harrier is found throughout the Argentine Republic, and is also 

 common in Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. On the pampas it is, 

 I think, the most common bird of prey, after the excessively abundant 

 Milvago chimango. Like the Chimango, it also prefers an open 

 unwooded country, and resembles that bird not a little in its general 

 appearance, and when in the brown stage of plumage may be easily 

 mistaken for it. In the Falklands it has even acquired the Carrion 

 Hawk's habits, for Darwin distinctly saw one feeding on a carcass there, 

 very much to his surprise. On the pampas I have always found it a 

 diligent bird-hunter, and its usual mode of proceeding is to drive up 

 the bird from the grass and to pursue and strike it down with its claws. 

 Mr. Gibson's account of its habits agrees with mine, and he says that 

 " it will raise any small bird time after time, should the latter endeavour 

 to conceal itself in the grass, preferring, as it would seem, to strike it on 

 the wing." He further says : " Its flight is low and rather rapid, 



