MONTAGUES HARRIER. 
173 
The second^ thirds fourth and fifth primaries emarginated on the outer 
webs; the emargination of the second lying beyond the coverts and just 
visible without lifting them ; the emarginations on the others are some 
distance, 2*5 to 3*5 inches, below the coverts. The female is rather larger 
than the male. 
The Pied Harrier is a winter visitor to British Burmah, and is more or 
less abundant in the plains of the whole Province. 
It has a wide range in Eastern Asia, being found in summer in Mongolia, 
Amurland and Northern China, and extending in winter as far south as 
Ceylon, Malacca and Cochin China. 
The habits of this Harrier are peculiar, inasmuch as the adult females 
do not appear to migrate so far south as the males. All the pied birds shot 
in India and Burmah appear to be males, and it was long considered that 
birds in immature plumage were adult females. But even immature 
females are very rare in the winter, for in the course of many years^ 
collecting I have not succeeded in procuring more than two specimens ; 
the few that occur are obviously accidental stragglers, the bulk of the 
females remaining in their summer quarters, or, at most, not moving far 
south. Mr. Sharpe was, I believe, the first ornithologist to draw attention 
to the fact that the sexes, when adult, are alike in plumage, Mr. Cripps 
has lately stated (S. F. x. p. 327) that a pied bird shot by him in Assam, 
and sexed by himself, was a female, and has thus corroborated Mr. Sharpens 
statement. 
The Pied Harrier is found in Burmah from September to May. It is 
abundant in all the flatter parts of the country, flying backwards and 
forwards close to the ground, and feeding on crabs, frogs and large 
insects. 
552. CIECUS PYGAHGUS. 
MONTAGUES HARRIER. 
Falco pygargus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 126. Falco cineraceus, Mont. Orn, 
Bict. i. Circus cineraceus, Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 97 ; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. 
p. 303 ; Bl. B. Bunn. p. 61 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon,^. 12 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. v. 
p. 423, pi. ; Hume, 8. F. viii. p. 82 ; Kelham, Ibis, 1881, p. 368 ; SeehoJwi, Brit, 
Birds, i. p. 131. Circus pygargus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. i. p. 64; Bavid 
et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 28 j Hume 8j' Bav. S. F. vi. p. 21. 
Description. — Adult male. The head, neck, upper plumage and breast 
dark bluish grey ; upper tail-coverts white, broadly tipped with ashy j tail 
grey, the centre feathers uniform, the others with the inner webs barred, 
the bars on the pair next the central being brown, gradually changing to 
