loNTACus Harrier. 99 



Family— FAL CONID^. 



Montagu's Harrier. 



Circus cineraceus, MoNTAGU. 



THIS beautiful species was first distinguished from the Hen- Harrier by Col. 

 Montagu at the commencement of the present century, when he was 

 residing at Kingsbridge, in South Devon, and has received its name from him in 

 consequence ; lie himself called it the Ash-coloured Falcon. It is a somewhat 

 smaller bird than the Hen-Harrier, and has longer wings that reach when closed 

 almost to the extremity of the tail, whereas in the Hen-Harrier the wings do not 

 extend within some two inches of the end of the tail when folded. The adult 

 male of Montagu's Harrier may also be recognised by the much darker lead-blue 

 mantle, by the chestnut stripes of the under wing-coverts, the two prominent 

 black bands on the secondaries, and the chestnut streaks on the breast, flanks, and 

 thighs. The facial disk and ruff are almost obsolete in the smaller species. 



Montagu's Harrier possesses the distinction of being the commonest of the 

 three English Harriers at the present day, and it was probably always more 

 numerous in the south of England than either the Marsh or the Hen-Harrier. If 

 it could escape molestation it would be a regular summer visitor to the dowTis 

 and fens of our southern counties. In the Lizard district of Cornwall, especialh' 

 on the Goonhilly downs, it is still quite common ; it is often seen in Devon and 

 Cornwall ; is still common on the heaths around Poole and Wareham, in Dorset, 

 and on those round Christchurch, in Hants, and is frequentl}- seen on the 

 Wiltshire downs, and there is hardly a countj^ in England or Wales from which 

 the nest has not been reported. It does not range far to the north, and is ver>' 

 rare in the south, and unknown in the north of Scotland. The nest has been 

 found in the northern counties of England, but not so frequenth* as in the south. 

 This Harrier never winters in the British Isles, leaving us in September ; Col. 

 Montagu had never heard of one after October. In the Broad district of Norfolk 

 Montagu's Harrier used to be quite a common and well-known bird before the 

 fens had been so largely reclaimed and drained ; there may still be an occasional 

 nest in protected and quiet places. But the guns of keepers and of marshmen 

 are always read}^ to be directed against the poor birds as soon as the}- are observed; 



