78 Catalogue of the Birds [July 



placed upwards and forwards; wings reaching to within about an inch 

 of end of tail; 3d and 4th quills longest and nearly equal ; four first, with 

 webs, notched, but not so deeply as in the last species. Legs and feet 

 moderate, strong; anterior scales large, transverse ; posterior not so 

 distinct, in a double row. Internal lateral scales small, irregular. Ex- 

 ternal ditto, larger. Feet short ; inner toe without the claw, shorter 

 than the outer one ; whole length of the toes covered with broad scales. 



Genus CIRCUS, Bechstein— Harrier. 



23 — C. pallidas, Sykes. — C. cy a >te us, wir I — Dust-mal, H.— Indian Har- 

 rier and Ringtail. 



Besides the peculiarities of plumage which indued Colonel Sykes to 

 separate this bird from the European Harrier, it differs in having the 

 wing longer, being in some specimens I4i inches long, and reaching 

 within U inch of the end of the tail j it also differs somewhat in the pro- 

 portionate' length of the quills. 



The Indian Harrier is very generally spread and in many parts indeed 

 very abundant. It frequents the open stony plains and cultivated 

 ground; especially when the grain is high — occasionally, though rarely, I 

 have seen it in cantonment, hunting along a hedge side. I have seen 

 it perch on trees, though very seldom. Its chief food is lizards, locusts 

 and grasshoppers — also mice and small or young birds, especially quail, 

 if an opportunity occurs of suddenly snatching them. Mr. Elliot says in 

 his notes, " migrates from Southern Mahratta country in February, 

 and returns at the end of the monsoon like the B/iyree." 



24. — C. cincraceus, Mont. — C- Montagui, Vieill.* — Montague's liar- 



r'ur. 



This species is I think more abundant even than the last in the table 

 land, but I did not observe it in the Carnatic. It frequents the same 

 ground, and has the same habits as ihe last. It differs remarkably from 

 it in 'he length of the tarsus, which is only 2| inches in the male bird, 

 whilst in C. puUidus it is about three inches. 



• I cannot help thinking that Nos. 23 and 24 are the same bird. I deposited a series 

 of specimens showing the varieties of age and sex in what I considered to be three spe- 

 cies, but which, on comparison, were found to agree pretty exactly with a full series of 

 English specimens in the College museum Edinburgh, and by which I was satisfied of the 

 existence of two well defined species only,— Ciicus ci/anetis and C. cifteraeeu$,oi Monlagui- 

 — W. E- 



