The Distribution of Birds in Great Britain. 411 



Once frequent, now nearly exterminated ; but still breeds occasionally 

 in a few English counties. Much rarer in Scotland, where the nest 

 has been found only in Haddington (Mr. A. Hepburn}, in Perthshire 

 (Mr. A. Pullar and Mr. J. Lamb], in Aberdeen and Banff (Mr. T. 

 Edward], and in Orkney (Mr. y. Dunn}. From its scarcity in 

 Scotland, the distribution of this species approaches to the English 

 or southern type. 



CIRCUS CYANEUS (Boie}. Hen Harrier. 



Provinces I.-VIII. X.-XVIII. 



Subprovinces 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, (10), n, (12), 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23-32, 



34-37, 38. 

 Lat. 50 61. " British " type, or general. 



Scarce in the south-eastern and midland counties, and already 

 extirpated in many of them ; frequent in the north and some parts of 

 the west of England, and still more common in Scotland. 



CIRCUS CINERACEUS (Naum.}. Montagu's Harrier. 



Provinces I.-IV. V. ? VIII. X. XVII. ? 



Subprovinces (2), 3, 4, 7, (10), u, (12), 15 ?, (19), 22, 25, 35 ? 

 Lat. 50-55 or 58. " English " type. Not in Ireland. 



A scarce species. Until recently, appears to have been a regular 

 summer visitant to some of the southern and eastern counties. 



Formerly found nesting in Devonshire by Montagu, and still breeds 

 occasionally in Somerset, Dorset, Kent, and Norfolk. Extinct in Devon, 

 Suffolk, Cambridge, Huntingdon, and Lincoln. In Shropshire Mr. Shaw 

 once obtained a female that had been recently sitting ; and a nest found 

 on the Whitby Moors, near Scarborough, is recorded in Dr. Morris's 

 ' Naturalist ' for 1855. Mr. Hancock writes that he has two young 

 birds which were bred in Cumberland. There appears to be some doubt 

 whether the species has been properly identified in Scotland, though 

 Mr. Dunbar tells me that he has "eggs and birds from Sutherland." 

 Sir. W. Milner also includes it in his list of birds found in that county 

 (Zoologist, p. 2014). This species is believed to have occurred once 

 in Ayrshire, according to Thompson's ' Birds of Ireland ' (vol. i. p. 83). 



Oxus VULGARIS (Flem.}. Long-eared Owl. 



Provinces I.-XVII. 



Subprovinces 2, 3, 4, 6, (8), 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21-32, 34, 35. 



Lat. 50-59. "British" type, or general. 



Apparently more frequent in the north of England and in Scotland, 

 perhaps owing to the greater prevalence of fir and pine woods, which are 

 its favourite resort. Scarce during the breeding-season in the southern 

 and midland counties, where it is better known as a winter visitor. 

 Mr. A. Newton considers it the commonest Owl in the eastern counties. 



