MONTAGU'S HARRIER. 131 



CIRCUS CINERACEUS. 

 MONTAGU'S HARRIER. 



(PLATE 6.) 



Accipiter falco torquatus (tf), Briss. Orn. i. p. 345 (1760). 



Falco pygargus, Linn. >//>'. Xat. i. p. 126 (1766). 



Falco cineraceus. Mont. Orn. Diet. i. (1802); et auctorum plurimorurn 



Teinminck, Xaumann, (Carter), (Gould), (Neicton), (Dresser), &c. 

 Falco hyeuialis, Gn,d. apud Peiin. Brit. Zvol. i. p. 243 (1812). 

 Circus cinerarias (M"iit.'), Leach, Si/st. Cat. Ma mm. Sfc. Brit. Mus. p. 9 (1816). 

 Circus ater, fifill. X. Diet. <THi*t. Xat. iv. p. 459 (1816). 

 Circus montagui, fifill. A*. Diet. fHist. Xat. xxxi. p. 411 (1819). 

 Falco cineraceus (Mont.), Temm. Man, <TOrn. i. p. 76 (1820). 

 Circus cinerascens, Steph. Share's Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. ii. p. 41 (1826). 

 Buteo cineraceus (Mont.), Flem. Brit. An. p. 55 (1 

 Circus cineraceus (Mont.), Cut: Rtgne An. i. p. 338 (1829). 

 Circus pratoruin, Brehm, fog. DeiitsM. p. 95 (1831). 

 Falco cinerascens (SUph.), Barb. Rtv. Zool. 1838, p. 221. 



Strigiceps cineraceus (Mont.). Bp. Comp. List B. Eur. $ X. Amer. p. 5 (1838). 

 Circus nipalen?is. Hodgs. Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 81 (1844). 

 Strigiceps cinerascens (Sttph.), Bp. Cunsp. i. p. 33 (1850). 

 Circus pygargus * (Linn.), Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 64 (1874). 



Though formerly a resident in Great Britain, Montagu's Harrier is now 

 only an accidental visitor, occasionally breeding where it is left unmolested. 

 It is still rarer in Scotland, and in Ireland has only twice been obtained. 



In France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Central and Southern 

 Russia, Turkestan, and South-western Siberia, as far east as Krasnoyarsk, 

 it is a summer visitant. In South Russia a considerable number remain 

 during the winter ; in Greece it is only found during the winter ; and in 

 Italy it is chiefly found at that season ; whilst in Spain it appears to be a 

 resident. It passes through North Africa on migration ; but a few are 

 found there all the year round. Its chief winter-quarters are the whole of 

 South Africa from the Cape as far north as Abyssinia. The Siberian 

 and Turkestan birds appear to winter in India, Ceylon, and Burmaf. 



Montagu's Harrier is a partial resident in our islands like the Marsh and 

 Hen- Harriers, but is most frequently seen in summer. Like the Marsh- 

 Harrier, it is never seen in the mountains, and hardly ever in the forests ; 

 but, unlike that bird, it appears to prefer a dry moor to a swamp, and a corn- 



* It is much to be regretted that Sharpe should have raked up a deservedly forgotten 

 name for this bird; but, so long as the law of priority continues in force, uniformity of nomen- 

 clature can never b^ attained. 



t It is a pity that Dresser, Sharpe, and Xewton should have copied Swinhoe's error in 

 recording this species from the Yang-tsze kiang, which he himself corrects (' Ibis,' 1^74, 

 p. 208). 



K2 



