16 FALCONID/E. 



13. CircUS seruginosllS, Linn. S. N. \. p. 130 ; Savigny, Syst. Ois. 

 Egypt, P- 9O; Hume, Rough Notes, p. 314; Shelley, Birds Egypt, p. 181 ; 

 Jerd. Birds of Ind. p. 99, No. 54; Sharps, Cat. Ace. B. M. p. 69; Murray, 

 Hdbk. Zool., fyc., Sind, p. 116; Hume, S. F. i. p. loo; Murray, Vert. ZooL, 

 Sind, p. 89 ; Reid, Cat. B. Mus, N. W. P. and Oudh The MARSH HARRIER. 



Adult Male. Above dark brown, the feathers of the upper surface edged 

 with rufous ; the smaller wing coverts buffy and centred brown ; primary, 

 coverts, and secondaries bluish ashy, tipped very slightly with pale white. 

 Primaries blackish brown, paler at the tips, whitish at base of inner web. 

 Upper tail coverts greyish white and tinged with rufous. Tail bluish ash 

 or uniform grey, slightly fulvescent beneath. Head, neck, and breast pale 

 rufous or creamy buff, with dark brown streaks ; under parts reddish brown or 

 pale rufous, as also are the thigh coverts, the latter in some spotted or margined 

 with white ; under wing coverts buffy white, the axillaries with brown shaft 

 stripes. Cere greenish yellow ; legs and irides yellow ; claws black. 



Length. 191022-5 inches ; wing 16 ; tail 9 to 10 ; tarsus 3*25; oilmen 1-55. 

 Adult Female. Larger ; length 23 inches ; wing 17 ; tail 10 to 1 1 ; tarsus 3-8. 



The young bird is uniform reddish brown, the head, neck, and cheeks in 

 some stages being yellowish, rufous white, or white with brown stripes on the 

 crown ; upper tail coverts rufous brown. 



Hob. Europe generally, China, Japan, N. E. and S. Africa, and through- 

 out India, Burmah, and Ceylon. In Sind and the Punjab it occurs in great 

 numbers, frequenting the maritime districts, rivers, marshes, lakes, and 

 inundated fields, feeding on rats, mice, frogs, fish, &c. It occurs also in the 

 N.-W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Rajpootana, Kutch, Kattiawar, Jodhpore, 

 North Guzerat, Central and Southern India, the Deccan and Concans, and in 

 fact throughout India; also in Beloochistan, Persia, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan, 

 Eastern Turkestan, Gilgit, Nepaul, Malacca, and Upper Pegu. 



Gen. Astur. Gm. 



Bill broad at base, compressed to tip, festooned in the middle. Nostrils 

 oval, situated anteriorly in the cere. Wings long ; 3rd, 4th, and 5th quills 

 longest. Tarsi long, scutate. 



14. Astur palumbarius, Linn. S. N. i.p. 130; Temm.Man.d'Orn. 

 i. p. 55 ; Yarr. B. Birds, i. p. 57 ; 'Cuv. Regne. An. i. p. 320 ; Gray, Gen. 

 B. i. p. 27 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 45, No. 21 ; Hume, Rough Notes, i. p. 112; 

 Jerd. Ibis. 1871, p. 243; Sharpe, Cat. Ace. Br. Mus. vol. i. p. 95. The 

 GOSHAWK. 



PLATE. 



Crown of the head, ear coverts and sides of neck dark brownish black ; 

 hind neck slightly mottled with white ; lores, checks, and supercilium white. 



