^T 



MARSH-HARRIER. 



CIRCUS yERUGINOSUS {Linn.). 



Falco sei'uginosus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 130 (1766). 



Falco rufus, Naum. i. p. 378. 



Circus seruginosus, Macg. iii. p. 382 ; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 127 ; 



Dresser, v. p. 415. 

 Circus rufus, Hewitson, i. p. 44. 



Rusard des marais, French ; Rohr- Weihe, German ; Agui- 

 lucho, Rapina, Spanish. 



This bird, wiiich was formerly common and resident 

 in most of the extensive fens and marshes of England 

 and Ireland, is now comparatively seldom to be met 

 with, owing, of course, to the reclamation of many of 

 its ancient strongholds, and the sedulous attentions of 

 gamekeepers and bird-collectors. It is still abundant in 

 almost all the great mai'shes of Central and Southern 

 Europe. I have seen twenty-six on wing together in 

 Epirus, and in the lower marisma of the Guadalquivir 

 more or less of this species are constantly to be seen 

 searching for prey along the reeds that fringe the river, 

 or skimming low over the vast muddy plains that extend 

 to the horizon. The plumage depicted in the first of 

 the two accompanying Plates is that of a very old male 



