MONTAGU'S HARRIER. 115 



The specific distinction of the Ash-coloured Harrier was 

 first demonstrated by Colonel Montagu, in consequence of 

 which M. Temminck, Yieillot, and Meyer, have called 

 this bird Le Busard de Montagu, and probably other Con- 

 tinental naturalists have done the same, as a tribute due to 

 the discernment of our English Ornithologist ; there seems 

 to be no good reason, therefore, that Montagu's own coun- 

 trymen should not now adopt this complimentary memorial. 

 At this time a fourth species of Harrier has been made 

 known in Mr. Gould's Birds of Europe ; and others have 

 been described as belonging to different parts of Asia, 

 Africa, and America, in each of which the adult males, 

 as in all the true Harriers, are more or less ash-coloured ; 

 this term, therefore, no longer conveys a specific distinction. 

 To this I may add, that Montagu himself, either by mis- 

 take or error of the press, has called this bird cineraceus 

 in his Ornithological Dictionary, cinerarius in his supple- 

 ment to the Dictionary, and cinerareus in his paper in the 

 Linnaean Transactions, volume the ninth, page 188; it 

 will therefore be an advantage, as well as a gratification, 

 to call this bird in future Montagu's Harrier, and Circus 

 Montagui. 



Specimens of Montagu's Harrier of either sex may be 

 readily distinguished from those of the Hen Harrier, al- 

 though about equal to them in length, by being much more 

 slender in shape, and not near so heavy, the average weight 

 of Montagu's Harrier being about nine and a quarter 

 ounces, that of the Hen Harrier about thirteen ounces ; 

 the wings are also longer in reference to the end of the 

 tail, and the third quill-feather of the wing is much more 

 pointed ; but in their habits, and the sort of country they 

 are most partial to, the two species are very similar. 



Mr. Selby, who has observed and obtained several ex- 

 amples in Northumberland, says, " it skims along the sur- 



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