174 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



rufous on the outer pair, and the interspaces changing in a similar manner 

 from ashy to whitish; wing-coverts ashy grey, tipped darker; secondaries 

 silvery grey, with a black bar across ; the first six primaries black, the 

 others silvery grey ; tertiaries like the back ; lower plumage from the 

 breast downwards white streaked with chestnut; axillaries white with 

 broad chestnut marks. 



Adult female. Head and hind neck brown streaked with rufous ; back, 

 rump, scapulars, tertiaries, and wing-coverts dark brown, with indistinct 

 fulvous margins to the feathers, the wing-coverts with broader margins ; 

 upper tail-coverts white ; tail brown, tipped paler and cross-banded with 

 darker brown, the bands becoming rufous towards the outer feathers, and 

 the interspaces whitish ; sides of the head brown streaked with rufous ; 

 ear-coverts dark brown ; a patch of feathers under the eye whitish ; lower 

 plumage buffy white, with elongated rufous centres to the feathers ; quills 

 dark brown barred with darker brown, the primaries and primary- coverts 

 tinged with grey externally. 



The young have the head and neck rich rufous with brown streaks ; the 

 upper plumage brown with rufous edges ; the upper tail-coverts whitish, 

 broadly edged with rufous ; a broad patch under the eye extending to the 

 ear-coverts whitish ; hinder part of ear-coverts dark brown ; entire lower 

 plumage rufous, with a few narrow black streaks ; tail rufous, banded with 

 brown ; quills brown, more or less barred with darker brown. 



Legs and feet yellow; iris bright yellow (brownish yellow in the female); 

 bill black. 



Length 17 inches, tail 9-5, wing 15, tarsus 2'2, bill from gape I'l. The 

 female is rather larger than the male. The second, third and fourth 

 primaries only are emarginated on the outer webs, and the emargination 

 on the second primary is quite an inch below the coverts. 



It is difficult to comprise in any description the various phases of 

 plumage which this species undergoes before it becomes adult. The cha- 

 racter of the emarginations on the primary-quills will be found the safest 

 guide to identification. 



Montagu's Harrier is stated by Mr. Blyth to be found in Pegu and 

 Tenasserim; and Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay writes (Ibis, 1875, p. 351) that 

 he thought he once saw this species in Karennee. It is common enough 

 in India and China, and it is therefore a very likely bird to be found in all 

 parts of Burmah. 



^ This Harrier is found, according to season, over the greater part of 

 Europe, Africa and Asia. To Burmah and the southern portion of the 

 continent of Asia it is merely a winter visitor. In its winter migration it 

 goes as far as the Moar river in the Malay peninsula, where Lieut. 

 Kelham secured a Harrier which he identifies with the present 

 species. 



