CIRCUS 507 



Hob. Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, of rare occur- 

 rence in Scandinavia, and only twice recorded from Finland; 

 Africa in winter, south to the Cape ; Asia, throughout India,. 

 Ceylon and Burma east to the Yangtse river in China. 



In habits it resembles the Hen-Harrier but is less of a 

 marsh -bird and frequents the steppes, fields, etc. ; its flight is 

 slow, a few beats of the wings alternating with a sailing motion, 

 and it usually perches on the ground, on a mound or stone. 

 Its food consists of insects, reptiles, small rodents, and birds, 

 especially when the last are weakly or wounded. Its nest is a 

 depression in the ground lined with grass-bents and leaves, and 

 its eggs, 4 to 5 in number, are deposited in May and are bluish 

 white, roundish in shape, and sometimes marked or spotted 

 with rich deep red. In size they average 1*68 by T34. 



The chief distinctions between the European Harriers are as 

 follows : 



C. ccruginosus. The ruff is interrupted in front* and the 

 folded wings do not reach to the end of the tail. 



C. cineraceus. Ruff interrupted in front ; first four primaries- 

 only emarginate on the outer web, the emargination on the 

 second fully an inch beyond the wing-coverts; flanks striped 

 with rufous in the adult male. 



C. swainsoni. Ruff complete ; emargination on the second 

 primary close to and almost hidden by the wing-coverts ; the 

 four first primaries only emarginate on the outer web ; upper 

 tail-coverts in the adult male white barred with grey. 



C. cyaneus. First five primaries emarginate on the outer 

 web ; ruff complete and not interrupted ; upper tail-coverts in 

 the adult male white. 



719. HEN-HARRIER. 

 CIRCUS CYANEUS. 



Circus cyaneus (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i.^ p. 126 (1766) ; Gould, B. of E. L 

 pi. 33 ; He\vitson, i. p. 47, pi. xvi. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. i. 

 pi. 26 ; Newton, i. p. 132 ; Dresser, v. p. 431, pi. 329 ; Sharpe, 

 Cat, B. Br. Mus. i. p. 52 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 27 ? 

 Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, in. p. 384 ; Saunders, p. 317 ; Lilford, i. 

 p. 69, pi. 36 ; C. pyyargus, Naum. i. p. 391, Taf. 38, fig. 2, Taf. 39. 



Busard St. Martin, French ; Pilharatos, Portug. ; Am de San 

 Martin, Span. ; Albanella reale, Ital. ; Kornweike, German ; 

 Blaauwe Kuikcndief, Dutch ; Blaa Kjcerhog, Dan. and Norweg. ; 

 Bld-Karrlwk, Swed. ; SinihaitJ&a, Finn. ; Polevoi Lun, Russ. ;. 

 Bou-hasin, Moor. 



