COMMON HARRIER. 313 



as do those of the tail, the terminal dark bar of a young 

 female now before me being an inch and ten-twelfths 

 in breadth, while that of an old female is only an inch 

 and a quarter. 



Remarks. — This species appears from the statements 

 of authors to be generally distributed over the conti- 

 nent of Europe. According to Temminck, it is rare in 

 Switzerland and other mountainous regions, but is 

 more common in Holland than the next species, which 

 on the contrary is very rare with us. It would even 

 appear that it occurs on all the continents, as well as in 

 New Holland ; but, on account of the numerous grada- 

 tions in the colours of the plumage, the question of the 

 identity of the species as observed in different countries 

 remains undecided. 



Having obtained another fiesh female of this species 

 since the preceding pages were composed, I consider 

 it not inexpedient to add here the following particulars 

 respecting it. 



Length to end of tail 21 inches, to end of wings 18^ ; 

 extent of wings 46 ; wing from flexure 15; tail 10 ; 

 bill along the ridge 1^\, along the edge of lower man- 

 dible lj\, cere || ; tarsus 3; first toe |, its claw l^g ; 

 second toe i§, its claw 1^^^ ; third toe 1^, its claw \^ ; 

 fourth toe m, its claw ^ 



12' 



Aperture of posterior nares elliptical, anteriorly li- 

 near. Tongue oblong, the sides nearly parallel, the 

 tip truncato-retuse and rounded, its upper surface with 

 a central deep groove, its extremity horny beneath. 

 Width of mouth one inch and one-twelfth. The oesopha- 

 gus five inches long, at its commencement ten-twelfths 



Dd 



