308 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
MONTAGU’S HARRIER IN SURREY. 
By Coiuinewoop INGRAM. 
Mucu interest was evinced last year when a pair of Montagu’s 
Harriers (Circus cineraceus) were found nesting in Surrey, “‘ within 
fifty miles of the Metropolis.” These birds were first described 
as Hen-Harriers (C. cyaneus) (‘British Birds,’ January, 1908), 
but were finally and satisfactorily identified as belonging to the 
former species (op. cit., April, 1908; also ‘ Field,’ December, 
1907). It transpires that this pair succeeded in rearing two 
young, but one of these was subsequently shot by a keeper. As 
this man was afterwards prosecuted, and a certain amount of 
publicity was given to the event, it is only fair to his employer 
to state that he had no authority for killing the bird; indeed, 
his master is such a keen ornithologist and a lover of nature 
that I am sure he regrets the incident as much as anyone. 
With regard to the status of the various species of Harriers 
in Surrey, that gentleman has very kindly supplied me with the 
following facts, all of which are of the utmost value, considering 
the number of years he has made observations in the district :— 
‘*T have not actually located a Harrier’s nest here till last year, 
but feel sure some birds were hatched off in 1906, as there were 
five about before the nesting-time in 1907. There have been 
three about here all last winter, but these were probably Hen- 
Harriers, as, according to authorities, Montagu’s Harrier does 
not stay with us in winter. There has been no year for twenty- 
two years that I have not seen Harriers about our commons; I 
cannot say whether they were Hen-Harriers or Montagu’s, as I 
never shot one, and they are difficult to distinguish on the wing. 
It is quite possible these birds never reared their young here, as, 
until recently, no one dreamt of protecting them, and the cruel 
and deadly pole-trap (now happily made illegal) accounted, 
I know, for several every year. I have never allowed pole-traps 
on my shooting, but about fifteen years ago I found a Hen- 
