As mistakes may occasionally arise in identifying specimens, especially in immature plumage, it may be as well to notice a distinction between the Hen Harrier and Montagu’s Harrier, which has been pointed out by Mr. Howard Saunders, and which holds good in all ages and in both sexes.  This distinction is, that in the Hen Harrier the outer web of the fifth primary is notched, whereas in Montagu’s Harrier it is plain, or, in other words, the Hen Harrier has the exterior web of the primaries, up to and including the fifth, notched, and in Montagu’s Harrier this is only the case as far as the fourth.[7] This distinction is very useful in identifying young birds and females, which are sometimes very much alike.  In fully adult males the orange markings on the flanks and thighs, and the greyish upper tail-coverts of Montagu’s Harrier, distinguish it immediately at a glance from the Hen Harrier, in which those parts are white.

Montagu’s Harrier is not included by Professor Ansted in his list, nor is there a specimen in the Museum.

15.  LONGEARED OWL. Asiootus, Linnaeus.  French, “Hibou vulgaire,” “Hibou moyen due.”—­The Long-eared Owl seems only a very rare and accidental visitant to the Channel Islands.  I have never met with it myself, but Mr. Couch records the occurrence of one in the ‘Zoologist’ for 1875, p. 4296:—­“I have a Long-eared Owl, shot at St. Martin’s on the 9th of November in that year.”  This is the only occurrence I can be sure of, except that Mr. Couch, about two years afterwards, sent me a skin of a Guernsey-killed Long-eared Owl; but this may have been the bird mentioned above, as he sent me no date with it.

As it is partially migratory, and its numbers in the British Islands, especially in the Eastern Counties, are increased during the autumn by migratory arrivals, a few may wander, especially in the autumn, to the Channel Islands, but it can only be rarely.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as having been found both in Guernsey and Sark.  There is no specimen of the Long-eared Owl at present in the Museum.  If there has been one it must have got moth-eaten, like many of the other birds there, and been destroyed.

16.  SHORTEARED OWL. Asio accipitrinus, Pallas.  French, “Hibou brachyote.”—­Unlike the Long-eared Owl, the Short-eared Owl is a regular autumnal visitant to the Channel Islands, arriving about October in considerable numbers, but remaining only for a short time, as I do not know of any making their appearance after the end of November, and the majority of those that have arrived seem to pass on about that time, not remaining throughout the winter, and I hear of no instances of their occurring on the spring migration, so the majority must pass north by a different line from that pursued by them on the southern migration.

There is only one specimen at present in the Museum.  Professor Ansted mentions it in his list, but only as found in Guernsey and Sark; but it is quite as common in Alderney, from which Island I have seen specimens, and I think also from Herm, but I cannot be quite sure about this, though of course there can be no reason why it should not be found there, as Herm is only three miles as the crow flies from Guernsey.