﻿BIEDS. 
  

  

  123 
  

  

  Haddo 
  House 
  estates, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  example 
  known 
  to 
  me 
  

   as 
  having 
  been 
  obtained 
  in 
  Scotland, 
  except 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  

   one 
  in 
  Unst 
  — 
  (Vertebrate 
  Fauna 
  of 
  Shetland, 
  p. 
  110). 
  The 
  

   Gight 
  specimen 
  weighed 
  11^ 
  ounces 
  ; 
  expanse 
  of 
  wings, 
  

   28-J 
  inches 
  ; 
  length 
  from 
  beak 
  to 
  end 
  of 
  tail, 
  14J 
  inches. 
  

   The 
  stomach 
  was 
  filled 
  with 
  the 
  bones 
  and 
  hair 
  of 
  mice. 
  

   The 
  chief 
  external 
  differences 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  

   our 
  native 
  Owls 
  are 
  its 
  long 
  rounded 
  tail 
  and 
  short 
  wings 
  ; 
  

   and 
  the 
  principal 
  internal 
  difference 
  lies 
  in 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  

   furcula 
  is 
  not 
  complete, 
  that 
  is, 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  form 
  the 
  usual 
  

   V- 
  or 
  U-shaped 
  bone 
  common 
  to 
  most 
  other 
  birds, 
  but 
  takes 
  

   the 
  form 
  of 
  two 
  long 
  bony 
  processes 
  which 
  are 
  united 
  to 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  sternal 
  crest 
  by 
  strong 
  ligaments, 
  each 
  

   three-fourths 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  long. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  has 
  a 
  wide 
  distribution, 
  being 
  common 
  in 
  

   " 
  Northern 
  Europe, 
  Siberia, 
  and 
  Kamtschatka, 
  migrating 
  into 
  

   Central 
  Europe 
  accident 
  ly, 
  and 
  in 
  winter." 
  (British 
  Orni- 
  

   thologists' 
  Unions 
  List.) 
  

  

  Family 
  FALCONIDiE. 
  

  

  Genus 
  CIRCUS, 
  Lacepede. 
  

  

  Circus 
  aeruginosus, 
  Linn. 
  Marsh-Harrier. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  instance 
  of 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  

   " 
  Dee 
  " 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  male 
  which 
  was 
  shot 
  on 
  May 
  12th, 
  1881, 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  Coutts, 
  at 
  Loch-head, 
  Dinnet, 
  who 
  sent 
  it 
  to 
  me. 
  

   Mr. 
  A. 
  G. 
  More 
  reports 
  that 
  it 
  breeds 
  regularly 
  in 
  Aberdeen- 
  

   shire> 
  but 
  I 
  am 
  unable 
  to 
  corroborate 
  that 
  statement. 
  Mr. 
  

   T. 
  Edward 
  was 
  Mr. 
  More's 
  authority 
  for 
  Aberdeen 
  and 
  Banff. 
  

  

  Circus 
  cyaneus, 
  Linn. 
  Hen-Harrier. 
  

  

  If 
  ever 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  common 
  in 
  " 
  Dee," 
  it 
  is 
  certainly 
  

   not 
  so 
  now. 
  One 
  was 
  killed 
  at 
  Slains 
  Castle, 
  October 
  16th, 
  

   1865, 
  which 
  was 
  forwarded 
  to 
  me 
  ; 
  and 
  a 
  male 
  was 
  killed 
  at 
  

   Dunecht, 
  in 
  April, 
  1894, 
  and 
  was 
  preserved 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Benzie, 
  

   Aberdeen, 
  in 
  whose 
  hands 
  I 
  saw 
  it. 
  These 
  are 
  all 
  the 
  

   instances 
  I 
  am 
  aware 
  of 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  forty 
  years. 
  

  

  " 
  Some 
  thirty 
  years 
  ago 
  we 
  used 
  to 
  recognise 
  it 
  pretty 
  

   frequently 
  in 
  the 
  Glen 
  of 
  Dye 
  and 
  among 
  the 
  woods 
  of 
  

  

  