121 



OEDER ACCIPITRES. 



FAMILY FALCONID^.— GENUS CIRCUS. 



MARSH-HARRIER. 



CiKcus .ERUGiNosus (Liniifeus). 



The Marsh-Harrier is now only an accidental visitor, 

 and is very rarely seen. About t^Yent3'-five years ago 

 Mr. Pi. J. Howard says a hen-bird was shot from the 

 nest on Martin Mere, near Southport, by a man named 

 John Cookson, and the Rev. J. D. Banister states in his 

 MSS. notes that it bred formerly at Pilling. Byerley 

 (" Famia of Liverpool," 1856) writes of it as occurring 

 " in the rabbit-warrens about Crosbj' and Formby 

 (Mather)," and Mr. John Watson asserts that not long 

 ago it bred on one of the low-lying mosses to the 

 north of Morecambe Bay, close to the border line of 

 Lancashire and Westmorland. An example is still pre- 

 serv-ed at Leagram Hall, shot by the late Mr. Weld many 

 years ago, on the suggestive date of August 12th. 



HEN-HARRIEE. 



Circus cyaneus (Linnseus). 



The Hen-Harrier (commonly known as the Blue 

 Hawk from the plumage of the male, and as the Ring- 

 tail from that of the female) still breeds occasionally in 

 Higher Wyresdale, and Mr. R. Standen vouches for a 



