CIRCUS MACRURITS. 19 



Besides the above locality, in the north, I have found the Pale Harrier numerous in the Jaffna peninsula 

 and adjacent islands, at Manaar in the open pasture-lands and plains, in the great delta of the Mahawelliganga, 

 and on the south bank of the Virgel, along the seaboard of the Eastern Province, and about the salt lakes or 

 "leways"* of the Hambantota district. In the Western Province it is mostly confined to the paddy-lands and the 

 marshes, round the large brackish lakes on the sea-coast, but in the northern half of the island it is found at all 

 the large tanks of the interior. In the Kandyan Province it frequents the patna-hills and " plains " of the upper 

 ranges, wanders over the open country in the coffee-districts, and is not unfrequently found in Dumbara. 



The Pale Harrier is a bird of wide geographical range during the cold season of the northern hemisphere ; 

 and though it perhaps does not cover as much ground as its near ally the Hen-Harrier, its southern limits are 

 more extended. It is common in some parts of Europe, and absent from other portions of that continent, not 

 visiting, for instance, the British Isles. Lord Lilford does not seem to have noticed it in Spain, and Messrs. 

 Harvie Brown and Danford found it rare in Transylvania. In the small island of Heligoland Mr. Gatke 

 records its occurrence. From Europe it extends southwards through Egypt and Eastern Africa to Cape 

 Colony, and eastwards through Palestine, where Canon Tristram found it common, to Persia and Turkestan, 

 in which latter highland Mr. Severtzoff and Dr. Scully observed it. Throughout India it is more or less 

 abundant in the cold season, extending into Burmah and thence into China, where it has been procured on 

 the Yangtsze river. In the peninsula of India it does not appear to remain in the breeding-season, Messrs. 

 Adam, Butler, Ball, and others recording it only during the cool weather ; and this makes its occurrence in 

 Ceylon, the most southerly limit of its range, all the more strange during the south-west monsoon. 



Habits. — Swainson's Harrier does not frequent openly-timbered plains or scrubby land, the favourite 

 haunts of the last species, so much as swamps, marshes, rice-fields, and pasture-land, more particularly those 

 in the vicinity of water. It passes most of its time on the wing, and rarely perches on any thing higher 

 than a fence, preferring to rest from its labours on terra firrna. Few, if any, of the Harriers exceed it in 

 grace and ease of movement, and none are so skilful in sailing along close to the ground, or gliding with 

 motionless wings just above the tops of the reeds 'or long swamp-grass. On espying its prey it suddenly closes 

 its wings, or makes a quick turn, and drops like a stone upon the ground. By the margin of the extensive 

 salt lakes on the Magam Pattu I have witnessed its powers of flight to great advantage. It would suddenly 

 come into view above the top of the surrounding jungle, and sweep instantly down to the surface of the plain, 

 along which it would skim for several hundred yards without any movement of its wings, and as easily rise 

 over an intervening strip of wood, again to descend with rapid swoop, and glide along the shore of the glistening 

 salt-pan, until, with a sudden but easy turn, it would commence to quarter backwards and forwards in search 

 of food. Its favourite diet consists of the lizards (Calotes) which swarm on the open land in Ceylon; but it 

 likewise captures mice in long grass, and frogs or beetles in the marshes which it frequents. 



I once shot one at Jaffna in the act of swooping down on a wounded Gull-billed Tern ; but its movement 

 was most likely one of curiosity, as it would have had some difficulty in disposing of such large quarry. It 

 must nevertheless frequently have the opportunity of picking up wounded or sickly birds of small size. It 

 roosts on the ground ; and Jerdon remarks that it is sometimes surprised at night by a jackal or fox. It has 

 the same silent habit as other Harriers. 



Nidification. — It has been clearly ascertained that this species does not breed within the limits of the Indian 

 empire, in which very few specimens are seen after the month of April ; and this fact renders its remaining 

 in Ceylon during its regular nesting-season all the more singular. The birds that frequent the Indian region 

 may no doubt breed in Kasgharia or in the steppes of Siberia ; but I do not observe any account of its nidifi- 

 cation in the writings of those who have visited the Central-Asian region. Its only known breeding-haunts 

 are the steppes of South-eastern Russia, whence Dr. Bree figures two interesting specimens of its eggs in his 

 ' Birds of Europe.' These are : — (1) pure white, unspotted; (2) white, with a few pale reddish blotches of 

 moderate size, some of which are confluent round the small end. They measure T75 by 1*3 inch, and 1"8 by 

 1*35 inch. The nest is placed most likely on the ground among bushes and the stunted growth dotting the 

 barren Russian steppes. 



* Shallow lagoons in which the annual salt formations take place. 



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