MONTAGU'S HARRIER 149 



Harrier ; but after the first moult, the males assumed the grey and 

 white plumage, while the larger birds, the females, retained the 

 gayer colouring, and the latter was the Ringtail. In habits both 

 birds resemble the Marsh Harrier, but do not confine themselves 

 to damp places. They frequent open plains, hillsides, and inclosed 

 fields, hunting a few feet above the surface of the groimd, and 

 beating for game as skUfuUy as a well-trained spaniel. The moment 

 that the Harrier sees a probable victim he rises to a height of twenty 

 feet, hovers for a moment, and then comes down with unerring 

 aim on his prey, striking dead with a single blow. Partridge or 

 Pheasant, Grouse or Blackcock, and showing strength not to be 

 expected from his light figure, and slender, though sharp talons. Not 

 unfrequently he accompanies the sportsman, keeping carefully 

 out of shot, and pouncing on the birds, killing them, and carrying 

 them oft to be devoured in retirement. He preys exclusivelj' 

 on animals killed by himself, destroying a great quantity of game 

 small mammals, birds and reptUes. It is a generally-diffused bird, 

 by no means so common as the Kestrel and Sparrow-hawk, but is 

 met with occasionally in most countries of Europe and Asia, and 

 in various parts of the British Isles. It is far from improbable 

 that this bird may frequently be seen, without being recognized as 

 belonging to the Hawk tribe ; indeed, the beautiful form and 

 light blue and white plumage, might cause it to be mistaken for a 

 Gull. It builds a flatfish nest of sticks, just raised above the 

 round, in a heather, or furze-bush, and lays four to six eggs. 



MONTAGU'S HARRIER 



CIRCUS CINERACEUS 



Wings a little longer than the tail ; third primary longer than the fourth and 

 second ; upper plumage bluish grey ; primaries black, secondaries with 

 three transverse dark bars ; lateral tail-feathers white barred with reddish 

 orange ; under plumage white, variously streaked with reddish orange. 

 Female — upper plumage brown of various tints ; under, pale reddish 

 yellow, with longitudinal bright red streaks. Beak black ; cere deep yellow ; 

 irides hazel ; feet yellow ; claws black. Length seventeen inches. 

 Eggs bluish white. 



This bird, which is of rare occurrence in Britain, resembles the 

 Hen Harrier very closely, both in appearance and habits, although 

 it is smaller and more slender, and the wings are longer in pro- 

 portion. On the Continent, especially in Holland, it is more 

 frequent. It received its name in honour of Colonel Montagu, 

 who was the first to ascertain the identity of the Hen Harrier 

 and RingtaU, and to separate the present species from both. 



