14 CIRCUS CINEEACEUS. 



The under surface continues to alteruntil the bird is fully matured: but the adult dress, after it is acquired, varies not 

 a little in different individuals. The following is a description of an example in the British Museum, which, 

 induing by the regular alteration of character during adolescence, appears to be a fully matured bird. 



Adult ft null, 1 . Above sepia-brown, pervaded on the back with greyish; the head margined with rufous, and the hind 

 neck with fulvous, the centres of the feathers being blackish brown; median wing-coverts broadly margined with 

 rufous-buff as in the younger bird ; terminal portion of primaries and the secondaries deep brow a, w ith a purple 

 lustre ; the outer webs of the longer primaries greyish, and both webs barred with narrow bands of blackish 

 brown ; inner webs near the base isabelline grey; upper tail-coverts white, with greyish-brown bars near the tips 

 of the longer feathers; central tail-feathers drab-grey, with four narrow bars and a broad subterminal band "I 

 deep brown, the remainder crossed with the same number of wider bands, the interspaces paling to while on the 

 lateral feathers, where the bars are narrower again, and tinged with rufous at the base. 



Face and a small space above the ears white : the gular band deep brown, margined with rufous and tinged with ashy ; 

 ruff blending with the throat and fore neck, which are rufescenl , with broad cinereous-brown stripes : beneath, from 

 the chest downwards, fulvescent whitish, with bold central stripes of rufous-brown on tin:' chest, and of rufous on 

 the lower parts ; under wing-coverts rufescent white, boldly dashed with rufous ; edge of wing-lining whitish. 



Soft parts as in the adult male. 



Length* to front of cere 18-5 inches, culmen 07 ; wing 14-0 to 15'3 ; tail 10 - ; tarsus 2-3 ; mid toe 1/15, claw (straight) 

 058 ; expanse 43*0. 



The following are measurements of several European and Indian examples of adult females, which are all exceeded by 

 those of a male from N. Bengal :■ — 



Wing. Tail. Tarsus, 



in. in. in. 



14-3 9-1 2-5 



14-3 9-0 2-4 



14-6 9-0 2-4 



14-(3 9-5 2-3 



Distribution. — This widely dispersed Harrier is, as might be expected, a winter or cool-weather visitant 

 to India and Ceylon, arriving in the latter place about October and departing again in April. Alter concen- 

 trating itself in considerable force in the Jaffna peninsula, the adjacent isles, and on the coast of the Northern 

 Province, it spreads down both sides of the island, but does not apparently wander into the interior after the 

 manner of the last species. On the west coast it is chiefly confined to such open localities as the cinnamon- 

 gardens of Negombo, Colombo, Morotuwa, &c, and likewise affects the almost inpenetrablc swamp called the 

 Mutturajawclla. In the Galle district it never came under my notice as an identified bird, but may have 

 figured among the many observed on the wing between the port and Baddegama; in the south-east, however, 

 it occurs, but not so frequently as in the north. During a visit, in March 187G, to Jaffna and the neighbour- 

 hood, I found it at several islands in Palk's Straits, among which were the twin islets of Eriuativoc, on which 

 several were seen in the course of a day's excursion. In the island of Manaar and at Aripu I likewise 

 observed and procured it. 



Montagu's Harrier has a very similar geographical range to the next species. In Europe it is perhaps 

 more generally distributed, as it extends in the summer to the British Isles, and is also common in Spain, but 

 chiefly during the winter, whereas the Pale Harrier does not move westward of 8 c E.long. It does not confine 

 itself to the south of the continent alone, for it has been recorded from both Heligoland and Sardinia. It is 

 found in Scandinavia, but does not appear to range into Northern Russia, although it inhabits the south of that 

 country. From the Caucasus it extends, like the last bird, through Palestine, to the elevated region of 

 Turkestan, from which Severtzoff records it. It is abundant in India in the cool season; but though Jerdou 

 remarks that he found it in all parts of the empire, the experience of recent observers, as appearing in ' Stray 

 Feathers/ tends to show that it is more local than either the Marsh- or the Pale Harrier. Mr. Hume does 

 not record it from Sindh, and Mr. Ball states that it is not common in Chota Nagpur. In the Deecan, 

 Mr. Fairbank says it is common ; and it occurs, but not abundantly, in the Khandala district. It is found 

 in Burmah, and has been obtained as far cast as the Yangtsze river in China. 



* from the flesh in Ceylonese examples. 



