Il6 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Male : head and nape yellowish-white slightly streaked 

 with deep brown ; feathers of back dark brown with 

 narrow lighter margins ; primary quills blackish-slate ; 

 remainder of wings and the tail pale ash-grey ; chin and 

 throat buffish-white ; under parts rufous-buff, the whole 

 streaked with dark-brown ; bill blackish ; irides, cere and 

 feet yellow ; claw black. Length 20*00. Immature males 

 are chiefly umber-brown with a brownish-white pate ; 

 iris hazel. Female : wings and tail brown. Length 

 22*00. 



Now a rare British bird, although formerly breeding in 

 many parts of England ; at the present time Norfolk 

 seems to be the only county in which a few still nest. 

 To Scotland it is a rare straggler only, while it has been 

 exterminated in most counties of Ireland, although Mr. 

 Ussher reports it as still breeding in Queen's Co., Galway, 

 and probably King's Co. and Westmeath. 



162. Circus eyaneus (Linn.). HEN-HARRIER. 



Hab. Northern Palaearctic region, north to within 

 Arctic circle. Partially migratory in winter. 



Male : whole plumage pale bluish-grey, excepting rump 

 and abdomen, which are nearly white, and primaries, 

 which are dusky-slate ; bill and claws blackish ; irides, 

 cere, and tarsi yellow. Length 18*50. Female : brown, 

 darkest above, streaked with white on nape and on edges 

 of the slight facial discs, and much mottled with white on 

 rump ; tail barred with blackish-brown, and. under parts 

 streaked with same ; cere greenish-yellow ; iris reddish- 

 brown. Length 20*50. Young : like "female ; males in 

 second year are much like old birds, excepting that tail 

 shows indistinct dusky bars, and nape and sides of abdo- 

 men are somewhat streaked with brown. 



