G YPAETUS CIRCUS 503 



as far east as Sikhim ; North China, Tibet, Mongolia, and 

 Dauria. 



Inhabits the higher mountain ranges, and is solitary in its 

 habits. It feeds on carrion, refuse, etc., like the Vultures, and 

 though it is said to attack lambs and kids and even goats and 

 chamois, it is doubtful if this is the case, except when the 

 animal is weakly or in a dying state ; it is a cowardly bird, and 

 will allow itself to be bullied by a Falcon not. a fourth of its 

 size. Its note is a feeble, querulous cry. It breeds in the high 

 mountains in a cave or on a shelf of the cliff, its nest being a 

 bulky structure of sticks, etc., lined with wool, hair, or any soft 

 material, and from the end of December to May, according to 

 locality, it deposits 2 eggs, dull yellowish or rusty orange in 

 colour, measuring about 318 by 2*47. 



CIRCUS, Lacep., 1851. 



715. MARSH-HARRIER. 



CIRCUS ^RUGINOSUS. 



Circus ceruginosus (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 130 (1766) : Gould, B. of Gt, 

 Brit. i. pis. 24, 25 ; Hewitson, i. p. 44, pi. xvi. fig. 1 ; Newton, i. 

 p. 127 ; Dresser, v. p. 415, pis. 326, 327 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 i. p. 69 ; Radde. Orn. Caucas. p. 106, Taf. iii. ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. 

 Birds, iii. p. 387 ; Saunders, p. 315 ; Lilford, i. p. 67, pis. 34, 35 ; 

 C. rufus (Gmel.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 266 (1788) ; (Natim.), i., p. 378, 

 Taf. 37, 38, fig. 1 /Gould, B. of. E. pi. 32. 



Busard des marais, French ; Aguilucho, Span. ; Milhano, 

 Portug. ; Falco di padule, Ital. ; Rohrweihe, German : Rielwouw, 

 Dutch ; Rodbrun Kjcerlwg, Dan. ; Rostbrun Karrhok, Swed. ; 

 Kamyschevoi Lun, Russ. ; Kamysch-Kara^axtw, Hedia, Moor.; 

 Bouschrada, Arab. ; Kular, Kulesir, Hindu. 



ad. (Spain). Crown and nape yellowish white striped with 

 chocolate and blackish brown ; back and scapulars blackish chocolate 

 slightly marked with dark fulvous ; tail ashy grey tipped with yellowish 

 buff ; primaries blackish brown, the inner ones marked with ashy grey, 

 secondaries and larger wing-coverts dark silvery grey ; smaller coverts 

 blackish chocolate marked with whitish ; chin dirty white ; breast 

 yellowish white marked with reddish brown ; rest of under part& 

 rusty brown striped or marked with darker brown ; bill horn ; legs and 

 cere yellow ; iris lemon yellow. Culmen 1'32, wing 14'8, tail 8'9, tarsus 

 3'3 inch. The old female is rather larger than the male, has the crown, 

 nape, and chin creamy white, the two former striated with blackish ; back 

 white marked with umber, the rump ochreous ; wings and tail dark brown 



