MARSH HARRIER — BLACK KITE 297 



common in Scotland, and is still less often to be met with in Sweden ; in 

 Germany it is frequently to be seen on the banks of the clearer streams, although 

 never in great numbers. 



Among the birds-of-prey the marsh-harrier {Circus ceruginosus) 

 is particularly partial to the marsh-lands and watery stretches of 

 Holland and Germany. In dense clumps of reeds or tufts of sedge-grass, among 

 the water-plants, in nettles, in weeping-willow bushes, sometimes in tall growing 

 wheat in the vicinity of water, it builds its rather tall nest, which is flattened at 

 the top, and in which are deposited in the month of May from three to five or 

 rarely sis eggs of a uniform greenish white. While the female is sitting upon 

 these the male indulges in innumerable antics in the air above, accompanying 

 these movements with a kind of cat-like "mewing," and concluding with a rush 

 towards the ground, performed with backward jerks and curious gestures, rising 

 again and turning a somersault as it does so. By these performances it betrays 

 the nesting-place, but should the young ones, to whom the parents show the most 

 tender attachment, be surprised by an intruder, the old birds will throw themselves 

 on their backs and defend their offspring courageously with their talons, their eyes 

 gleaming fiercely the while. The marsh harrier's flight is slow, almost lazy ; but 

 with an easy swimming motion the bird hovers low over the fields and water, 

 searching right and left for small animals, upon which it precipitates itself the 

 instant it has discovered them, devouring them on the spot. Small mammals, 

 birds, reptiles, frogs, and fish that can be caught close to the surface of the water, 

 form the food of this harrier, which is especially noted as a destroyer of the eggs 

 and young of water-fowl. A marsh-harrier will drive the smaller water-birds away 

 from their nests without much ado, but is in its turn vigorously attacked, when 

 it attempts to rob the larger ducks and geese. It is sufficiently daring to venture 

 upon stealing swans' eggs which have been left unguarded, without however being 

 able to do them much harm, owing to the hardness of their shells ; other eggs it 

 carries in its talons, one after the other, to dry ground, there to suck their contents. 

 This timid bird, which can only be surprised in tall grass, does not range very far 

 north in Europe, and is not known eastward of Turkestan, beyond which it is 

 replaced by G. spilonotus, which is frequent in the region of the Altai Mountains, 

 but becomes rarer in the basin of the Amur. On migration the European birds 

 journey as far as South Africa. 



Woods in the vicinity of stagnant or slowly flowing water 

 abounding in fish, are the favourite abode of another bird-of-prey, 

 the black kite (Milvus migrans). In such localities the nest may be found placed 

 on or close to the top of the highest trees, at times also in lower trees at various 

 heights from the ground, and in some treeless districts on bushy wastes and heaths. 

 The nest is made of dried twigs, and always contains a certain quantity of fish- 

 bones which have been swallowed and ejected by the birds, as well as hair, tow, 

 wool, paper, and rags of all kinds, among the latter being sometimes whole aprons, 

 stockings, or handkerchiefs. It is often found in the vicinity of others of the same 

 kind, especially near colonies of herons, from which the kites steal the remains of 

 fish and other refuse. With the exception of frogs, the black kite, which will feed 



