68 MONTAGU'S HARRIER. 



horn-colour. Cere and legs yellow. Length 19 in. Female : 

 upper parts reddish brown ; under parts pale ruddy yellow, 

 streaked and spotted with yellowish brown. Tail brown, with 

 five darker bars (hence Ringtail). Length 21 in. Young, 

 resemble female, only more rufous. 



Language. Resembling the last. 



Habits. Flight buoyant, and rather like a Gull's. It metho- 

 dically quarters the ground, flying low for the purpose, when 

 hunting for its prey. 



Food. Small mammals and birds, frogs and snakes. 



Nest. May. One brood. 



Site. On the ground, usually among heather. 



Materials. Sticks, dry grass, bits of heather, lined with 

 dry grass. 



Eggs. Four to six. White, faintly suffused with blue ; 

 occasionally marked with rusty brown. 



MONTAGU'S HARRIER (Circus cineraceus). 



Migrant ; April to September. The commonest of the 

 Harriers, but nevertheless rare. Found in suitable localities 

 in the South, south-western counties, and in East Anglia. 



Haunts. Open country. 



Observations. Of slimmer build, comparatively longer wings, 

 and darker mantle than Hen Harrier. Also note black bands 

 on secondaries, and chestnut markings on under parts. 



Plumage. Upper parts bluish grey. Primaries black. 

 Secondaries have three dusky transverse bars. Side tail- 

 feathers barred with reddish orange. Throat and breast ash- 

 grey ; under parts greyish white striped with reddish orange. 

 Bill dark horn-colour. Cere and legs yellow. Length 17 in. 

 Female : upper parts generally of a warm brown tint ; under 

 parts pale reddish yellow, longitudinally streaked with rusty 

 brown. Length 19 in. Young, chocolate-brown above, and 

 nearly chestnut-brown on the under parts. 



Language. A harsh shriek, somewhat like the Kitti wake's 

 cry. 



Habits. Very similar to the last. 



Food. Small mammals, birds, and reptiles ; also eggs and 

 insects. 



Nest. May. One brood. 



Site. On the ground, under some bush, or amongst 

 heather. 



Materials. Sticks, grass, and stalks, lined with fine grass. 



Eggs. Four to six. White suffused with blue, occasionally 

 marked with rusty brown. 



