9. Circus cyaneus,
Linn. Sys- Nat. i.p. 126; Yarrell, Br. B.i. p, 94 ; Sharpe, Cat. Acc. p. 52 ; Boie, Isis, 1822 ; Gould. B. Eur. i. pl. 33 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 95; Gould. B. Gt. Bt. 1867; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 93, No. 50 ;Str. F. i. p. 160, 418 ; Reid, Cat. B. Prov. Mus. N. W. P. and Oudh.-
Linn. Sys- Nat. i.p. 126; Yarrell, Br. B.i. p, 94 ; Sharpe, Cat. Acc. p. 52 ; Boie, Isis, 1822 ; Gould. B. Eur. i. pl. 33 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 95; Gould. B. Gt. Bt. 1867; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 93, No. 50 ;Str. F. i. p. 160, 418 ; Reid, Cat. B. Prov. Mus. N. W. P. and Oudh.-
The Hen Harrier.
Adult Male.~Upper parts, chin, throat, cheeks, ear-coverts, sides of the neck, and breast bluish ashy, paler on the wing coverts and tail, the former also slightly margined with whitish and the scapulars slightly tinged with fuscous. Frontal plumes and lores whitish ; feathers of the nape pure white. Forehead and supercilium whitish, 1st 6 primaries blackish both above and below, the outer webs, towards the tips, more or less suffused with silvery grey ; the inner webs white at the bases. Secondaries silvery grey on the outer webs and tips, with black shafts and an indistinct subterminal band. Tail ashy grey, tipped with white, the middle tail feathers entirely uniform pale ashy grey, white-shafted, the lateral ones becoming less grey and white on the inner webs, with from 6 to 8 imperfect, and sometimes almost obsolete transverse ashy bars. Upper tail coverts white. Under surface from below the breast, including the thighs, the axillary plumes, and under wing coverts white, (in the adolescent stage slightly suffused with very pale bluish grey). Cere yellow ; bill bluish black ; irides yellow ; legs and feet bright yellow; claws black.
Length.-17 to 19 inches; wing 12.2 to 13.8; tail 8.1 to 9.0; tarsus 2.5 to 2.9; bill from gape 1.16.
Young Male.-Above brown ; bright rufous on the head and neck. Upper tail coverts white with rufous brown mesial lanceolate streaks. Tail tawny, fulvous at tip, with four broad black cross bands. Young females with rufous cross bars on the tail.
Adult Female.-Crown of the head, hind neck, and nape reddish fawn or pale tawny fulvous, the feathers broadly streaked mesially with dark brown. Forehead, a narrow supercilium, lores, and cheeks, and a streak over the ear coverts fulvous white; basal two-thirds of feathers of the nape white; ear coverts and cheeks rufous, streaked with brown. Quills brown, tipped with whitish, and with 3-5 dark brown transverse bars on the inner webs. 2nd, yd, 4h, and 5th primaries emarginated on the outer web. Scapulars, interscapulary region, lower back and rump, also wing, coverts brown, spotted with large oval tawny buff marks. Upper tail coverts pure white with sometimes lanceolate rufous brown spots on the shafts. Tail white at the extreme base, the central feathers grey brown, narrowly tipped with white or rufescent white, and crossed with 4-5 broad transverse bars of darker brown; lateral tail feathers similar but with broader white tips, and the interspaces on the outer webs creamy buff, the outermost tinged with rufous; sides of neck and under surface of body yellowish white, brown-shafted, and with more or less conspicuous ovate rufous-brown spots. Irides reddish brown.
Length.-19.5 to 21.6 inches; wing 14.5 to 15.6; tail 10 to 10.9; tarsus 3.1 to 3.17-
Hab.- Throughout Europe. Occurs also in all countries bordering the Mediterranean and extending in winter to N, India (Sharpe). In India the Hen Harrier is common about the outer ranges of the Himalayas; from Abbottabad to Kumaon, in the Punjab; Sind, N.-W. Provinces, and Oudh, also the Central Provinces. It has been obtained in Meerut, Bareilly, Etawah, Saugor, Nagpoor, Chanda, and Goona (Hume); also in Beloochistan, S. Afghanistan, Nepal, Eastern Turkestan, and Gilgit.
This species is not known to breed in India. Dr. Scully in his contribution to the Ornithology of Eastern Turkestan says it is a permanent resident in the plains of Kashgaria and breeds there. The nest, he says, is placed in long grass jungle; and adds that he often observed the bird sailing low over rush-grown marshes and bare fields with a wonderfully long sustained flight. It never seems to tire and always appears keenly intent on looking for its prey, every now and then suddenly dropping down among the reeds as if shot, but soon rising again to resume its hunting. He does not however give any particulars of its nidification, except as to the position of the nest. In Europe it is said to be placed on the ground and the materials used are small sticks and coarse grass. Eggs 4-5 ; in colour pale white or skimmed milk-blue; 1.67 X 1.33 inches.
