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CIRCUS ASSIMILIS, Jard. and Selb.
Allied Harrier. i

Circus assomilis, Jard. and Selb. Il. Orn., vol. ii. fol, Gil.
Swamp Hawk, of the Colonists.

 

Tue Corcus assimilis may be regarded as the commonest of the Harriers inhabiting New South Wales and

South Australia; it also occurs, but in smaller numbers, in Van Diemen’s Land. Another Harrier is rather
abundantly dispersed over all the localities suitable to its existence in Western Australia, and it is just possible
that they may prove to be mere varieties of each other ; if such should be the case, the whole of the southern
portion of the coast of Australia, from east to west, must be included within the range of its habitat ; still, | |
without further evidence in favour of this supposition, I should consider them to be distinct species ; and if
this opinion is well-founded, the two species will be found to inosculate in the latitude of Spencer’s and
St. Vincent’s Gulfs, as, in the collections lately forwarded to me by Mr. Harvey of Port Lincoln, I found two
or three individuals precisely identical with those from Swan River. In size the Circus assimilis is but little
inferior to the Marsh Harrier (Circus @ruginosus) of Europe, to which it offers a great resemblance in its

 

habits and economy; being generally seen flying slowly and somewhat heavily near the surface of the
ground, evincing a partiality to lagoons and marshy places, situations which offer it a greater variety and
abundance of food than any other; the principal part of its food consists of reptiles, small mammalia and
birds. I several times observed this species in the lagoons near Clarence Plains in Van Diemen’s Land, as
well as in all similar situations in almost every part of New South Wales I visited.

I was not so fortunate as to find the nest of this Harrier,—a knowledge of its form and of the colour of its
eges is therefore yet to be ascertained. That it breeds in the localities in which [ observed it I have little

doubt, from the circumstance of the adults paying regular and hourly visits to the marshes in search of food,

which was doubtless borne away to their young. When in a state of quiescence, this species, like the other
Harriers, perches on some elevation in the open plain rather than among the trees of the forest; the trunk
of a fallen tree, a large stone, or small hillock, being among its favourite resting-places.
The sexes offer the usual differences in the larger size of the female; the markings of that sex are also
rather less well-defined, and have not so much of the grey colouring as the male.
Head and all the upper surface rich dark brown ; the feathers at the back of the neck margined with
reddish buff; face light reddish brown ; facial dise buffy white, with a dark stripe down the centre of
each feather ; all the under surface buffy white, which is deepest on the lower part of the abdomen and
thighs, each feather with a streak of brown down the centre ; upper tail-coverts and base of the tail-feathers |
white ; remaining length of the tail-feathers brownish grey; irides reddish orange ; eyelash and cere pale ni
yellow ; bill dark brown, becoming light blue at the base ; tarsi greenish white ; feet bright orange; claws
dark brown.
The female differs in being of
in having the tail of a deeper tint and obscurely barred.
The figures are about two-thirds of the natural size.

a larger size and of a darker brown, particularly on the under surface, and