ppears t
Mr. S
Ra
>re numerous in the southern counties; and act
riling fa
i Montagu it is the most common
ribe about the sandy flats o f Caernarvonshire,
i Wale:
Respecting its still breeding
evenson says that the localities selected for this purpose are almost entirely confined to
Horsey, and Hickling, where the shriek o f the railvvay-wbistle has not *yet scared them
their natural haunts. In the above districts a few pairs o f the Marsh-Harrier, as I learn from the
most reliable sources, remain throughout the ye ar; and I feel justified, therefore, in still retaining
the Moor-Buzzard, as this species is frequently termed, in the list o f residents, whilst a t the same time
I believe th at some migratory specimens occur a t times. A nest with three young ones was taken near
Yarmouth, in the summer o f 1862. It is more o r less numerons, according-to the nature o f the localities,
in all the temperate parts o f Europe. Lord Lilford tells us that it is “ perhaps the most abundant of the
Raptorial Birds in European Turkey and Greece. From two to a dozen were almost always to be seen in
every marsh iu Epirus, Acarnania, Albania, aud Corfu. Very few remain there to breed, the main body
making its appearance iu the beginning o f November and disappearing in March. I once counted twenty-six
on the wing together near Butrin to.” North Africa as well as Europe is included in the area o f range o f the
Marsh-Harrier, as are also Egypt and all other countries thence to India, where, according to Mr. Jerdon,
it “ is very generally spread, frequenting banks o f rivers, lakes, marshes, and inundated fields, or wet
meadow land, occasionally hunting overgrass o r dry grain-fields. I t feeds chiefly on frogs, fish, water-insects,
rats, shrews, and various young or weakly birds. It not unfrequently carries off wounded snipe, and even
teal, and often follows the sportsman.” An old sporting friend assured Mr. Thompson that “ he had often
seen the Marsh-Harrier * quarter ’ its ground like a setting dog, as the Hen-Harrier is well known to
do, , and that he considers its performance in this way equal to th at o f the latter species.”
Much difference occurs in the colouring o f the plumage o f this species during the first few years o f its
existence; and several must elapse before it attains the perfect state represented in my first P la te ; but it is
evident that the bird breeds long before this state o f plumage is acquired, since we seldom see a specimen
thus attired in our islands. Mr. J . H. Gurney is, I believe, inclined to think th at the chocolate-coloured birds
represented witb a snake, in the foreground o f my second Plate, are old females; in that case very youug
males will most likely resemble the female. The bird sitting on its nest is probably a male tb at has not yet
| attained its fully adult garb ; still this is a point in the history o f the Marsh-Harrier th at yet requires
determination, but which can only be satisfactorily ascertained by observers in the countries where it is still
plentiful.
“ The eggs o f the Marsh-Harrier,” says Mr. Hewitson “ are most commonly white, but sometimes sp o tted ;
and all those I have- seen, upon the identity o f which reliance could be placed, a re considerably less than
those o f the common Buzzard. The bird almost always breeds on the ground, but will sometimes build in
the fork o f a large tr e e ; in such a situation the nest would be formed o f sticks and such-like materials.
In the fen countries, its'usual resort, the nest is composed o f so large a quantity o f flags, reeds, and <
as to raise it a foot, o r a foot and a half above the ground.
l^fiye^in number; the time o f incubation early in May.
p j h e head, cheeks, and nape o f the neck are tawny yellow, tinged with rufous
:ed with dark brown; facial disk yellowish-white and brown; back, wing-coverts, I
> with lighter margins; primaries brownish black ; secondaries and tail
|tail-coverts deep rufous; bill bluish black; cere, irides, legs, and feet
ach feather tipped with lighter reddish brown,
plumage is chocolate-brown
colour than in the ad u lt; ci
rown, sides o f the face, and throat, delicate buff;
side