BRITISH BIRDS. I 17 



A decreasing species, but still to be found breeding in 

 a few localities in the west, south-west, and north of 

 England, also in Wales and more commonly in the 

 Orkneys, Hebrides, and some parts of the Highlands ; 

 in Ireland it breeds sparingly in Kerry, Galway, and 

 possibly other counties. Nest : commonly placed in tall 

 heather but often on more open ground ; consists of 

 heather twigs and dry grass. Eggs : 4 or 5 ; bluish- 

 white, usually unmarked, but now and again with faint 

 orange-brown marks; size 178 by 1*42. 



163. Circus eineraeeus (Montagu). MONTAGU'S 

 HARRIER. 



Hab. Europe, except extreme north ; also Western 

 Asia. Migrates southward in winter. 



Male : smaller, more slender, and of a noticeably 

 darker grey than the male of C. cyaneus ; the tail is 

 also distinctly barred in the adult bird, the secondary 

 wing-quills exhibit a dusky band, and the under parts 

 are white streaked with reddish-brown ; the wings are 

 very long, reaching beyond the tip of the tail. Length 

 17*50. Female : much like female of C. cyaneus; often 

 more rufous below and darker generally. Length 19*00, 

 Young : like female. 



A summer visitor to England, but much less common 

 than formerly. It has bred irregularly in the south- 

 west from Hants to Devon, also in Norfolk and parts 

 of Wales ; to the north and to Scotland it is a very 

 rare straggler ; in Ireland five examples have been 

 obtained in Wicklow, Wexford, and Co. Dublin. Nest : 

 on the ground among heather, gorse, rushes, etc. Eggs : 

 4 or 5 ; like those of C. cyaneus, but smaller ; size r68 



by 1*35. 



