HEN HARRIER. 25 
and lesser under wing coverts, white. The tail white, except 
the two middle feathers, which are grey, with sometimes a few 
markings; the inner webs of the outer ones are barred with 
eight dark grey or dusky bars; the outer webs grey, without 
bars generally, but some have them slightly barred with rust- 
colour: underneath it is greyish white, with traces of five 
darker bars; upper and under tail coverts, white. Legs, long, 
feathered, and as the toes, yellow; claws, black. 
Female; weight, about eighteen ounces; length, one foot 
eight to one foot nine inches; bill, black; cere, yellow; iris, 
yellow; the eyes are surrounded with white or pale greyish 
yellow; bristles, as in the male; forehead, pale greyish yellow. 
Head, brown, the feathers margined with rufous, forming a 
faint collar; neck, as the head; the ruff, which is more 
distinct than in the male, dusky, or reddish, or yellowish 
white, or white; the shafts of the feathers brown; nape, 
rufous; chin, white; throat, light rufous, the feathers marked 
as on the breast. Breast, yellowish white, or pale rufous 
brown, streaked with orange brown or dusky in the centre 
of each feather, and the shafts still darker. Back, brown, 
varied with yellowish or reddish brown. 
The wings as in the male, except as to the length of the 
quills, (vide supra)—they expand to from two feet and a half 
to two feet ten inches. Greater and lesser wing coverts, 
brown, margined with rufous; primaries, dusky, the outer webs 
cinereous, barred beneath with white and dark brown; 
secondaries and tertiaries, dusky, slightly edged with a paler 
shade; greater and lesser under wing coverts, reddish white, 
with dark centres to the feathers. Tail, light brown, white 
at the base, barred on the side feathers with waved bars of 
darker and lighter brown—six on the middle, and four on 
the side feathers—the lighter ones shaded to rufous on the 
inner webs, which appear whitish underneath; the last bar 
is the widest; the inner webs, excepting those of the two 
middle feathers, pale reddish grey; the shafts pale brown. 
In some specimens the outer feather on each side is light, 
and without bars; the tip of the tail whitish or pale rust- 
colour; underneath the tail is paler, the middle feathers 
barred with dusky black and dull white. Tail coverts, 
white, sometimes with a few brown markings; under tail 
coverts, as the breast, but lighter and less marked, sometimes 
spotless. Legs, yellow, feathered in front as in the male, 
one third down; toes, yellow; claws, black. 
