MONTAGU'S HARRIER. 173 



The second, third, fourth and fifth primaries emarginated on the outer 

 webs ; the emargination of the second lying beyond the coverts and just 

 visible without lifting them ; the emarginations on the others are some 

 distance, 2' 5 to 3' 5 inches, below the coverts. The female is rather larger 

 than the male. 



The Pied Harrier is a winter visitor to British Burmah, and is more or 

 less abundant in the plains of the whole Province. 



It has a wide range in Eastern Asia, being found in summer in Mongolia, 

 Amurland and Northern China, and extending in winter as far south as 

 Ceylon, Malacca and Cochin China. 



The habits of this Harrier are peculiar, inasmuch as the adult females 

 do not appear to migrate so far south as the males. All the pied birds shot 

 in India and Burmah appear to be males, and it was long considered that 

 birds in immature plumage were adult females. But even immature 

 females are very rare in the winter, for in the course of many years' 

 collecting I have not succeeded in procuring more than two specimens ; 

 the few that occur are obviously accidental stragglers, the bulk of the 

 females remaining in their summer quarters, or, at most, not moving far 

 south. Mr. Sharpe was, I believe, the first ornithologist to draw attention 

 to the fact that the sexes, when adult, are alike in plumage. Mr. Cripps 

 has lately stated (S. F. x. p. 327) that a pied bird shot by him in Assam, 

 and sexed by himself, was a female, and has thus corroborated Mr. Sharpens 

 statement. 



The Pied Harrier is found in Burmah from September to May. It is 

 abundant in all the flatter parts of the country, flying backwards and 

 forwards close to the ground, and feeding on crabs, frogs and large 

 insects. 



552. CIRCUS PYGARGUS. 

 MONTAGU'S HARRIER. 



Falco pygargus, Linn. 8yst. Nat. i. p. 126. Falco cineraceus, Mont. Orn 

 Diet. i. Circus cineraceus, Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 97 ; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. 

 p. 303 ; EL B. Burm. p. 01 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon'y. 12 j Dresser, Birds Eur. \. 

 p. 423, pi. ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 82; Kelham, Ibis, 1881, p. 368; Seebohm, Brit. 

 Birds, i. p. 131. Circus pygargus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. i. p. 64; David 

 et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 28; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 21. 



Description. Adult male. The head, neck, upper plumage and breast 

 dark bluish grey ; upper tail-coverts white, broadly tipped with ashy ; tail 

 grey, the centre feathers uniform, the others with the inner webs barred, 

 the bars on the pair next the central being brown, gradually changing to 



