HARRIERS VARIETY OF PLUMAGE. 89 



bluish grey, and the lower white ; the most obvious 

 distinction between the two, next to the lighter 

 and more elongated form and tern-like flight of 

 Montagu's bird, being the presence of a transverse 

 belt of a dark colour across the secondaries, and 

 several ferruginous bars on the under wing-coverts. 

 The females are respectively larger than the males, 

 of a brown colour, varied less or more with several 

 shades of yellowish red, the longitudinal spots or 

 streaks on the lower parts becoming more narrow 

 and distinct, and the ground of a lighter colour, 

 as they advance towards maturity. The young of 

 the year resemble the females, but the plumage is 

 less streaked or variegated. The male of the 

 marsh harrier or moor buzzard, although, like 

 others of the genus, subject to a change which 

 may be dated from the first autumnal moult, yet 

 never arrives at that gull-like state of plumage 

 characteristic of the other two species ; the wings 

 and tail alone, even in very old birds, assuming 

 the bluish grey colour, the head and throat being 

 whitish, and the remaining portion of the body 

 presenting different shades of dark and ferrugi- 

 nous brown. 



Although formerly of common occurrence on 

 the uncultivated heaths of this county, many 

 of which still continue in their primaeval state, 

 the marsh harrier is now one of the rarest of 



