HARRIERS. . OE 
(Circus ranivorus), which is a native of South Africa, where it feeds 
principally on frogs and fish ; the Pale-chested Harrier and Jardine’s 
Harrier (C. Swatnsonit and C. Jardiniz); and the Ash-coloured 
Harrier (C. céwerescens), which is met with in the extreme south of 
America. The latter has great powers of flight, and is always in 
motion, never halting except to seize its prey; it is very wild, and 
can only be approached when feeding. 
Fig. 279.—Hen Harrier. 
The Caracaras are a race of birds which form a link betwees 
the Falcon and the Vulture families. They have, like the latter, the 
projecting crop, goggle eyes, head partly bare of feathers, toes long, 
especially the middle one, and the claws but slightly crooked. They 
show a decided taste for putrid carrion. However, they do not feed 
exclusively on it, for when opportunity offers they capture mammals, 
young birds, reptiles, molluscs, grasshoppers, and even worms. These 
birds are essentially pedestrians ; the slight curvature of their claws 
renders this easy, and it is not an unfrequent thing to see them walk 
at a slow pace for considerable distances. 
Their name is derived from the cry which they utter. They are 
