112 FALCONIDJi. 



grey which distinguishes the sex, in their second autumn ; 

 young males are smaller in size, and have the irides lighter 

 in colour than those of females at the same age. It is 

 probable that young males are capable of breeding in their 

 second year, before they have acquired their grey plumage, 

 as two brown birds, apparently performing the duties of 

 parents, have been shot at the same nest. 



The female measures about twenty-one inches in length ; 

 wing from the anterior bend fifteen inches ; the bill almost 

 black ; the cere greenish yellow, the irides reddish brown ; 

 the top of the head and back of the neck umber brown ; 

 the feathers of the latter with lighter reddish brown edges, 

 forming a collar on the neck ; over the eye a light-coloured 

 streak ; ear-coverts uniform umber brown ; the circular disk 

 or ruff round the face formed by short feathers of mixed 

 brown and white colours, passing from behind the ear on 

 one side round under the chin to the back of the ear on the 

 other side ; the back and wings uniform umber brown ; the 

 smaller wing-coverts margined with ferruginous ; wing- 

 primaries blackish brown ; upper surface of the central 

 tail-feathers uniform umber brown; the lateral tail- 

 feathers dark brown, barred with lighter reddish brown ; 

 the ends of all the feathers pale ferruginous ; the throat, 

 breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, reddish buff 

 colour, each feather having an elongated reddish brown 

 patch in the centre, with a still darker shaft ; those of the 

 thighs and the under tail-coverts being lighter in colour, 

 and less decidedly marked than those of the body ; under 

 surface of the middle tail-feathers strongly marked with 

 broad bands of brownish black and dull white ; the outer 

 feathers on each side greyish white, with four darker trans- 

 verse bars ; the legs and toes yellow ; the claws black. 



In reference to our Harriers, a notice appears in the 

 Naturalist for September, page 314, that some difference 



