MONTAGU’'S HARRIER. 99 
Family—FALCONID/A:. 
Montacu’s’ HARRIER. 
Circus cineraceus, MONTAGU. 
HIS beautiful species was first distinguished from the Hen-Harrier by Col. 
Montagu at the commencement of the present century, when he was 
residing at Kingsbridge, in South Devon, and has received its name from him in 
consequence; he himself called it the Ash-coloured Falcon. It is a somewhat 
smaller bird than the Hen-Harrier, and has longer wings that reach when closed 
almost to the extremity of the tail, whereas in the Hen-Harrier the wings do not 
extend within some two inches of the end of the tail when folded. The adult 
male of Montagu’s Harrier may also be recognised by the much darker lead-blue 
mantle, by the chestnut stripes of the under wing-coverts, the two prominent 
black bands on the secondaries, and the chestnut streaks on the breast, flanks, and 
thighs. The facial disk and ruff are almost obsolete in the smaller species. 
Montagu’s Harrier possesses the distinction of being the commonest of the 
three English Harriers at the present day, and it was probably always more 
numerous in the south of England than either the Marsh or the Hen-Harrier. If 
it could escape molestation it would be a regular summer visitor to the downs 
and fens of our southern counties. In the Lizard district of Cornwall, especially 
on the Goonhilly downs, it is still quite common; it is often seen in Devon and 
Cornwall; is still common on the heaths around Poole and Wareham, in Dorset, 
and on those round Christchurch, in Hants, and is frequently seen on the 
Wiltshire downs, and there is hardly a county in England or Wales from which 
the nest has not been reported. It does not range far to the north, and is very 
rare in the south, and unknown in the north of Scotland. The nest has been 
found in the northern counties of England, but not so frequently as in the south. 
This Harrier never winters in the British Isles, leaving us in September; Col. 
Montagu had never heard of one after October. In the Broad district of Norfolk 
Montagu’s Harrier used to be quite a common and well-known bird before the 
fens had been so largely reclaimed and drained; there may still be an occasional 
nest in protected and quiet places. But the guns of keepers and of marshmen 
are always ready to be directed against the poor birds as soon as they are observed; 
