BLUE HAWK, OR HEN-HARRIER. 241 



blue color, Bartr. Trav. p. 290, adolescent Male. — Falco ranivortis, the Marsh- 

 Hawk, Bartr. Trav. p. 290, young. 



As will be perceived upon a slight inspection of our long and elabo- 

 rate list of sjnonjmes, this well-known species is found in almost every 

 part of the globe ; and not only does it seem to have been considered 

 everywhere distinct, but nearly every different appearance which it 

 assumes during its progress through the various and extraordinary 

 changes that its plumage undergoes according to sex and age, has in 

 each country given rise to a nominal species. At the same time, how- 

 ever, that names were thus inconsiderately multiplied for one bird, two, 

 really distinct, were always confounded together. Analogous in their 

 changes, similar in form and plumage, it was reserved for the acute and 

 ingenious Montague, to point out the difference, and establish the two 

 species by permanent characters. The new one was called by him Falco 

 cineraceus, and is known by the English name of Ash-colored Harrier. 

 It is figured and accurately described in all its states of plumage by 

 Vieillot, in his G-alerie des Oiseaux, where he has dedicated it to its 

 discoverer, calling it Circus Montagui; thus fully apologizing for having 

 in his article Busard, of the New Dictionary of Natural History, 

 declared it to be a state of the other. How far, however, it may be 

 considered a compliment to change the name given to a species by its 

 discoverer, in order to apply even his own to it, we are at a loss to 

 imagine. 



The principal distinctive characters of the two species are to be found 

 in the relative length of the wings and tail, and in the proportional 

 lengths of the primaries. In the Ash-colored Harrier, the sixth primary 

 is shorter than the first, the second is much longer than the fifth, and 

 the third is the longest ; the wings when closed reach to the tip of the 

 tail. In the Hen-Harrier, the first primary is shorter than the sixth, 

 the second sub-equal to the fifth, and the third equal to the fourth, the 

 longest ; the wings closed, not reaching by more than two inches to the 

 tip of the tail, which is also but slightly rounded in the latter, while in 

 the Ash-colored it is cuneiform. Other minor differences are besides 

 observable in the respective sexes and states of both ; but as those we 

 have indicated are the only ones that permanently exist, and may be 

 found at all times, we shall not dwell on the others, especially as 

 Montague's species appears not to inhabit America. We think proper 

 to observe, however, that the adult male of Falco cineraceus has the 

 primaries wholly black beneath, while that of the F. cyaneus has them 

 black only from the middle to the point ; and that the tail feathers, 

 pure white in the latter, are in the former spotted beneath. The female 

 in our species is larger than the corresponding sex of the other, tliough 

 the males in both are nearly of equal size ; and the collar that surrounds 

 the face is strongly marked in ours, whereas it is but little apparent in 



Vol. III.— 16 



