70 THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 



Family FALCONIDiE. 

 Genus CIRCUS. 



C. JEruginosus. Marsh Harrier. 



The Marsh Harrier is a casual visitant of rare 

 occurrence, chiefly in autumn, in the north of the 

 county. Dr. Heysham considered it a numerous 

 resident. An example of a rich chocolate-black 

 was obtained by Mr. T. C. Heysham's chief collector, 

 the late James Cooper, in the Bewcastle district. 



C. Cyaneus. Hen Harrier, 



The Hen Harrier is a rare casual visitant, chiefly 

 noticed in spring and autumn in the north of the 

 county. It has certainly ceased to breed with any 

 regularity on our moors ; but eggs in the possession 

 of Mr. F. Taylor were taken only a few years since 

 on the Solway Flow. 



In 1783 and 1784, Dr. Heysham, who seems to 

 have anticipated Montagu in proving that the 

 " ringtail " was the female Hen Harrier, found 

 three nests of this species on Newtown common, 

 Carlisle, within five hundred yards of one another. 

 Prior to 1797, Dr. Heysham examined twenty 

 broods of young ones, and dissected many adults, f 



C. Cineraceus. Montagu's Harrier. 



Montagu's Harrier is a rare casual visitant. An 

 example, recorded by Mr. T. C. Heysham as 



+ a fine adult male Hen Harrier was shot near Drumburgh, in company 

 with a female, Dec. 31st, 1885. All credit is due to Montagu for his careful 

 study of his hand-reared Harriers (of. Tr. L. S., IX, p. 182), but Dr. Heysham 

 had set the matter at rest some years earlier. 



