HEN HARRIER. 133 
to frequent the lower lands in the winter, and the higher 
in the summer. 
The Hen Harrier attaches itself to open wastes, downs, 
and commons, wide moors, fens, and marshy situations. It 
appears to roost only on the ground, and is easily trapped. 
Its flight is low, but light and buoyant, though not very 
swift. Sometimes it hovers in the air for a short time, some- 
what in the manner of the Kestrel: again it sails on motionless 
pinions, but generally with quick pulsations of the air. Before 
commencing the nest, both birds may be seen soaring about 
and sporting in the air: occasionally they do so at a con- 
siderable elevation, wheeling in circles. Its attitude when 
settled, is nearly erect, and it generally selects some little 
eminence to alight on. 
It beats its hunting grounds with regularity, both of plan 
and time, and with careful investigation. Game, both old 
and young—curlews, partridges, pheasants, fowls, lapwings, 
buntings, larks, snipes, stonechats, and other larger and smaller 
birds, leverets, rabbits, rats, mice, and other small animals, 
lizards, vipers, snakes, and frogs, and occasionally dead fish 
compose its food, and all these it pounces on on the ground. 
If it does chase any thing in the air, it does not seize it 
there, but drives it first to the earth. One, however, has 
been seen flying off with a grouse. Mr. Thompson relates of 
another as follows:—‘A sportsman having killed a snipe, was 
in the act of reloading his gun, when the Hawk sweeping 
quickly past him, made a stoop to carry off the snipe, and 
when just seizing the bird, was itself brought down by the 
second barrel.’ No fewer than twenty lizards were found in 
one which was killed near London. In one kept in confine- 
ment, the upper bill grew so much hooked as almost to prevent 
the bird from feeding; but by cutting half an inch off it, the 
difficulty was removed. 
The note is loud and clear, and resembles in some degree 
that of the Kestrel. 
The nest, which is built on open wastes, and frequently in 
a furze’cover, and placed on or near the ground, is composed 
of sticks rudely put together, sedge, reeds, flags, and other 
coarse materials. It is made of considerable height, as much 
as a foot and a half; perhaps as a safeguard against flood. 
One has been known thus raised to the height of four feet— 
perhaps a second story had been added to a former tenement. 
The male assists the female occasionally in the task of incu- 
