442 



towards the tip ; secondaries and wing-coverts ashy blue-grey ; chin, sides of the head, and throat 

 white, with a blue-grey tinge ; rest of the underparts white, the flanks with a few indistinct striations ; 

 under wing-coverts and basal portion of the wings underneath pure white, the terminal portion being 

 blackish; bill blackish; cere, iris, and legs pale yellow. Total length about 17"0 inches, culmen 1*15, 

 wing 13-8, tail 9*2, tarsus 29. 



Adult Female (Guzdad, 15th January) . In general appearance resembling the female of Circus cineraceus, 

 but much paler and less rufous ; the ground-colour of the underparts and the markings on the upper 

 parts being warm buffy white. 



Young (India). Resembles the young of Circus cineraceus, but is generally paler, especially on the upper 

 parts, and may also be easily distinguished by the difference in the emargination of the primaries. 



Obs. In the adult plumage the male bird of this species is very distinct from Circus cineraceus, and much 

 more closely resembles Circus cyaneus, from which it may readily be distinguished by having the upper 

 tail-coverts barred and not plain white. In the plumage of the female and of the young, however, it is 

 not so easy to separate them ; but an examination of the quills will at once show which the species is, 

 as in Circus cyaneus the outer web of the fifth primary is notched, whereas in Circus swainsoni and 

 Circus cineraceus it is plain ; and these two latter may be separated by an examination of the second 

 primary, which in Circus cineraceus has the notch fully an inch beyond the coverts, whereas in Circus 

 swainsoni this notch is nearly, or entirely, hidden by the coverts. 



In Southern Europe this species is tolerably common, while in Central and Northern Europe it is 

 but a rare visitant. In Africa it is to be met with down to the Cape of Good Hope, and in Asia 

 as far east as China. 



It has not been met with in Great Britain, and is an extremely rare visitant to Scandinavia. 

 It has not been recorded from Norway ; Professor Nilsson says that it has been met with on 

 three occasions in Sweden — once on Gottland (on the 9th May 1834), once at Lund (in the same 

 year), and once near Gothenburg (on the 3rd June 1853); and, according to Von Wright, two 

 examples have been shot in Finland, both near Helsingfors — one on the 5th May 1842, and one 

 on the 8th May 1858, both being old males. 



It is common in many parts of Russia, especially on the Lower Volga ; and Mr. Sabanaeff 

 informs me that he saw it in the Ural, on the boundary between the Shadrinsk and Ekaterinburg 

 districts. Mr. Taczanowski writes that it is not rare in the Ukraine, but he does not know that 

 it has ever been met with in the kingdom of Poland. 



In North Germany, according to Borggreve, it occurs here and there as a rare straggler; 

 but Von Homeyer states (J. f. O. 1872, p. 334) that young birds are abundant in Pomerania on 

 passage. Pastor Boeck writes (J. f. O. 1859, p. 239) that on the 2nd April 1859 he purchased 

 in the Dantzic market an old male of this species, which had been shot at Zoppot, a bathing-place 

 about two German miles from that town; and another adult male was shot (J. f. O. 1862, p. 65) 

 in Mecklenburg, at Hohen Sprenz, by Mr. Berens on the 7th September 1862. It has also been 

 met with in Denmark ; for, according to Mr. Collin, Mr. Skeel shot a young male of this species 

 at Dronninglund, in Vendsyssel, on the 16th August 1858; and another young example is said 

 to have been caught in Zeeland in 1862. There are three examples in immature dress in the 

 collection of Mr. Gatke, obtained by himself in Heligoland ; but it is not included by Professor 



