176 
BIHDS OF BRITISH BTJRMAH. 
The Pale Harrier is said by Mr. Blyth to occur in Arrakan and Pegu. 
I found it far from uncommon in the great plains in the southern portion 
of Pegu^ more especially on both sides of the canal. 
This Harrier is founds according to season_, over the greater portion of 
Europe^ Africa and Asia. It visits India^ the Indo-Burmese countries, 
Burmah and South China in the winter season only. 
I observed this Harrier chiefly along the course of rivers and on the 
edges of ponds. It perches on clods of earthy and occasionally on a thick 
bunch of grass,, and flies very gracefully. 
554. CIRCUS ^RUGINOSUS. 
THE MABSH-HAERIEB. 
Falco seruginosus, Linn. Sijst. Nat. i. p. 130. Circus aeruginosus, Jerd. B. Ind. 
i. p. 99; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 314; id. Nests and Eggs, p. 51 ; id. S. F. iii. 
p. 35 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. i. p. 69 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 61 ; David et Oust. 
Ois. Chine, p. 30 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. v. p. 415, pi. ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 5 ; 
Hume 4^ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 22 ; Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 250 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 82 ; 
Sctdlg, S. F. viii. p. 226 ; Gates, S. F. x. p. 180 ; Seebohm, Brit. Birds, i. p. 124. 
Description. — Male and female. Entire head, neck and breast creamy 
buff, streaked with reddish brown ; upper plumage dark brown, the feathers 
edged with fulvous-brown ; lesser wing- coverts creamy white, with rusty 
brown margins and streaks ; median coverts nearly uniform brown ; the 
outer greater coverts, the primary -coverts and the secondaries bluish ashy, 
paler at the tips ; primaries blackish brown, paler at tip and white at their 
bases; tertiaries brown washed with ashy; upper tail-coverts greyish 
white tinged with rufous ; tail uniform bluish ashy ; abdomen, sides of the 
body, vent, thighs and under tail-coverts ferruginous, with buffy white 
streaks on the abdomen and sides; under wing- coverts bufiy white; 
axillaries with shaft-spots of deep rufous. 
Young. Forehead, crown, nape, cheeks and throat creamy bufi", with 
rusty shaft-stripes; ear-coverts, fore neck and the whole lower plumage 
except the breast deep rufous-brown ; the breast creamy buff, with large 
central rufous-brown streaks ; wings, tail and upper plumage dark brown ; 
a few of the smaller wing-coverts broadly edged with pale buff. 
Very young birds are uniform dark umber-brown. In this plumage they 
do not appear ever to visit Burmah. 
Base of bill greenish yellow, the remainder black; mouth purplish 
flesh- colour; cere greenish yellow; iris yellow; legs pale yellow; claws 
dark horn-colour. The female and young have the iris brownish yellow. 
