THE HEN HARRIER 159 



appear to remain over the winter in some districts. 

 From France northwards on the Continent the bird 

 is a regular migrant, moving to its breeding-grounds 

 in March or April, and returning in September, 

 October, and November. Its favourite haunts 

 in Britain are wild moors and heaths and the 

 rough scrub-covered sides of mountains. During 

 migration it is to some extent gregarious, but at 

 other times appears to live solitary or in scattered 

 pairs. Its habits very closely resemble those of the 

 preceding species. It shows the same peculiarity 

 of flying slowly up and down its haunts, at no great 

 height, searching the ground below for the objects 

 on which it subsists. It is also very regular in its 

 movements, searching particular places about the 

 same hour each day, and passing over the country 

 by certain routes. It is a great robber of nests, 

 especially those of the smaller birds, feeding upon 

 the eggs and nestlings, and even the parents, when 

 able to drop down upon them unawares. Unlike 

 the other species, it is said often to chase its quarry 

 on the wing. Its other food consists of small 

 mammals, such as mice and moles, of frogs and 

 lizards, grasshoppers, locusts, and other insects, 

 whilst its partiality for chickens has long brought 

 it into ill-repute with the poultry-keeper. The 



