THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 399 



on the first primary is actually concealed by the greater coverts. I have 

 not seen sufficient birds of this species to say whether it is often placed 

 thus, but it is evident that care must be taken not to make too free a 

 use of this characteristic in distinguishing between C. macrurus and 

 C. cineraceus. 



I think this Harrier is fairly plentiful in the plains of Cachar. 

 (523) Circus cyaneus. — The Hen-Harrier. 

 Hume, No. 50 ; Blanford, No. 1235. 



A rare bird in Cachar. I have only one specimen and have not seen 

 half a dozen others in Cachar. 



(524) Circus MELANOLEUCUS.*-The Pied Harrier. 

 Hume, No. 53 ; Blanford, No. 1236.- 



A common bird all over the plains and extending well into the 

 hills, where a few birds breed every year. The Mikirs in the 

 North-East assure me that every year they find one or two nests 

 in the terraces in which they cultivate rice. They say that this 

 Harrier breeds in July and August, more nests being found in the 

 latter than in the former month, and the nests are placed on the 

 small banks at the edges of the terraces which retain a small amount 

 of water in each tier. 



I have seen birds hawking over these fields in June and July and 

 have no doubt that what the Mikirs assert is perfectly correct. For 

 every adult male in the full-pied plumage some ten to twenty females 

 and young birds in non-adult plumage may be seen in Cachar, imma- 

 ture males being especially numerous. The number seen in different 

 years varies greatly. Last year (1896) I saw very few birds indeed, 

 whilst three years previously, when there was much water remaining 

 throughout the cold weather in many places, some of these Harriers 

 might have been seen any day during the course of a very short 

 walk. 



(525) Circus cauruginosus. — The Marsh Harrier. 

 Hume, No. 54 ; Blanford, No. 1237. 



The commonest form of Harrier all over Assam and the Surrma Valley. 



A nest of the Marsh Harrier, together with the female and the eggs, 

 was once brought to me by a Mikir. He had been working in his 

 rice-field when he saw a hawk, as he called it, fly out of some dense 

 ekra and grass growing just at the edge of his field in some swampy 



