Letters, Announcements, &c. 279 
men, which was ascertained by dissection to be a male, I 
think it probable that the present bird is a female; in its 
markings and general coloration this example agrees closely 
with the type, except that it shows indications of more ad- 
vanced plumage on the feathers of the back and on the lower 
scapulars, which are slightly tinged with dark grey, also on the 
primary-coverts, primaries, secondaries, and bastard wing, all 
of which show more or less of a clear grey colouring crossed 
with darker transverse bars. 
If I am right in considering this specimen a female, 
these appearances of incipient grey coloration make it pro- 
bable that the two sexes in this Harrier (and probably also. 
in the nearly allied C. maillardi) do not differ in plumage 
when fully adult. 
I now consider that I have examined three Madagascar 
specimens of Circus macroscelus, of which the following are 
the principal measurements :— 
Wing from 
carpal joint. Tarsus. 
in. In. 
Male, immature, type specimen in Norwich 
Museum, ede Ibis, 1863, p. 858, & 1875, 
Pot (wanes Bbraded) o.. s eed ww nets 15 3°85 
Presumed male, adult, in British Museum, 
vide Ibis, 1875, p. 280, and Sharpe in 
PEA, Oo PEO BGs on eS age F Cee Bas 16:9 3°55 
Presumed female, immature, in the collec- 
fon-~of Newton i, viii sieht alaae La 17-9 39 
A comparison of these measurements with those of the 
Joanna and Réunion Harriers, which I have previously re- 
corded (anted, p. 129), leads me to believe that the Mada- 
gascar and Joanna Harriers are probably identical, whilst 
those of Réunion are decidedly smaller; I therefore consider 
that the specific name of Circus macroscelus may be conve- 
niently retained for the two first, and that of Circus mail- 
lardi restricted to the last. 
T am, &c., 
J. H. Gurney. 

