8 



continually carrying off chickens, and, like other Harriers, are most terribly destructive to the 

 eggs and young of all birds. 



" On account of these propensities, I never let off a Marsh-Harrier unless it spoiled sport to 

 fire at one. Sometimes, when at Casa Vieja and the Snipe were scarce, we used to lie up in the 

 line of the Harriers' flight to their roosting-places ; for they always take the same course, and 

 come evening after evening within five minutes of the same time. Upon one occasion a friend 

 and myself killed eleven, and during that visit accounted for over twenty. I also upon every 

 possible opportunity destroyed the nest and shot the old ones ; but it was the labour of Sisyphus, 

 for others immediately appeared. However, there was a visible diminution of their numbers at 

 Casa Vieja. I never saw rats in their nests or crops, and believe they have not the courage to 

 kill them : small snakes, frogs, wounded birds, eggs, and nestlings unable to fly form the main 

 part of their prey. I have seen the Marsh-Harrier hawking over the sea about two hundred 

 yards from the shore, where there was shallow water, but could not see what they were taking." 



The nest of this species, like that of the other Harriers, is placed on the ground, or more 

 frequently amongst the dense, half-floating reeds or flags. The nest itself is large, bulky, and 

 somewhat carelessly constructed of dry reeds, flags, and twigs, and is flat and scarcely cup-shaped 

 in the egg-cavity. The eggs, which are deposited in May, are usually four or five, more seldom 

 six in number, and are uniform greenish or blue-greenish white in colour, rather round in 

 shape, and measure from Iff by l^f to 2^% by Iff inch. 



The specimens figured are : — on the one Plate a very old male from Transylvania, and an 

 old female from Corsica ; and on the second Plate a young male and an ordinary adult female, 

 the former from the Volga and the latter from Spain. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens: — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a. Leadenhall Market, Loudon (H. E. D.). b, c, <3 , d, $ . Casa Vieja, Spain, February 25th and 26th, 1871, 

 and May 3rd, 1874 (L. H. Irby). e, ?. Biguglia, Corsica, April 15th, 1875 (C. Bygrave Wharton), 

 f. Dobrudscha, July 4th, 1875 (Schliiter). g. Albania (H. Barclay) . h. Turkey (JVhitely). i, 6. Ismid, 

 November 18th (C. G. Danford). k. Ural, 1868 {Sabancieff). 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram, 

 a, 6- Etawah, India, March 26th, J869 {W. E. Brooks). 



E Mus. J. A. Harvie-Broivn. 

 a, c?. Zah-Tok, Transylvania, May 10th 1874 (/. A. Harvie-Broivn). 



E Mus. C. A. Wright, 

 a, cj. Malta, March 21st, 1863. b, ? . Malta, September 14th, 1870 (C. A. W.). 



