176 BIRDS OF BRITISH BTJRMAH. 



The Pale Harrier is said by Mr. Blyth to occur in Arrakan and Pegu. 

 I found it far from uncommon in the great plains in the southern portion 

 of Pegu, more especially on both sides of the canal. 



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

 Europe, Africa and Asia. It visits India, the Indo-Burmese countries, 

 Burmah and South China in the winter season only. 



I observed this Harrier chiefly along the course of rivers and on the 

 edges of ponds. It perches on clods of earth, and occasionally on a thick 

 bunch of grass, and flies very gracefully. 



554. CIECUS ^lEUGINOSUS. 



THE MARSH-HARRIER. 



Falco aeruginosus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 130. Circus aeruginosus, Jerd. B. 2nd. 

 i. p. 99 ; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 314 ; id. Nests and Eggs, p. 51 : id. 8. F. iii. 

 p. 35 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. i. p. 69 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 61 ; David et Oust 

 Ois. Chine, p. 30 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. v. p. 415, pi. ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 5 : 

 Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 22 ; Cripps, 8. F. vii. p. 250 ; Hume, 8. F. viii. p. 82 ; 

 Scully, S. F. viii. p. 226 ; Gates, S. F. x. p. 180; Seebohm, Brit. Birds, i. p. 124^ 



Description. Male and female. Entire head, neck and breast creamy 

 buff, streaked with reddish brown ; upper plumage dark brown, the feathers 

 edged with fulvous-brown ; lesser wing-coverts creamy white, with rusty 

 brown margins and streaks ; median coverts nearly uniform brown ; the 

 outer greater coverts, the primary-coverts and the secondaries bluish ashy, 

 paler at the tips ; primaries blackish brown, paler at tip and white at their 

 bases; tertiaries brown washed with ashy; upper tail-coverts greyish 

 white tinged with rufous ; tail uniform bluish ashy ; abdomen, sides of the 

 body, vent, thighs and under tail-coverts ferruginous, with buffy white 

 streaks on the abdomen and sides; under wing- coverts buffy white; 

 axillaries with shaft-spots of deep rufous. 



Young. Forehead, crown, nape, cheeks and throat creamy buff, with 

 rusty shaft-stripes ; ear-coverts, fore neck and the whole lower plumage 

 except the breast deep rufous-brown ; the breast creamy buff, with large 

 central rufous-brown streaks ; wings, tail and upper plumage dark brown ; 

 a few of the smaller wing-coverts broadly edged with pale buff. 



Very young birds are uniform dark umber-brown. In this plumage they 

 do not appear ever to visit Burmah. 



Base of bill greenish yellow, the remainder black; mouth purplish 

 flesh- colour; cere greenish yellow; iris yellow; legs pale yellow; claws 

 dark horn-colour. The female and young have the iris brownish yellow. 



