246 BLUE HAWK, OR HEN-HARRIER. 



The young male is almost perfectly similar in appearance to the adult 

 female (which is not the case in the Ash-colored Harrier), being how- 

 ever more varied with rusty, and easily distinguished by its smaller 

 size. It is in this state that Wilson has taken the species, his very accu- 

 rate description being that of a young female. The male retains this 

 plumage until he is two years old, after which he gradually assumes 

 the gray plumage peculiar to the adult : of course they exhibit almost 

 as many gradations as specimens, according to their more or less 

 advanced age. The ash and white appear varied or mingled with 

 rusty ; the wings, and especially the tail, exhibiting more or less indica- 

 tions of the bands of the young plumage. The male, when he may be 

 called already adult, varies by still exhibiting the remains of bands on 

 the tail, more or less marked or obliterated by the yellowish edges of 

 the feathers of the back and wings, and especially by retaining on the 

 hind head a space tinged with rusty, with blackish spots. This space 

 is more or less indicated, in the greater part, both of the American 

 and European specimens I have examined. Finally, they are known 

 by retaining traces of the yellowish of the inferior surface in larger 

 or smaller spots, chiefly on the belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts. 



For the greater embellishment of the plate, we have chosen to repre- 

 sent one of these very nearly, but not quite adult males, in preference 

 to a perfectly mature bird, which may be easily figured to the mind by 

 destroying every trace of spot or bar. It is moreover, in this dress 

 that the adult is met with in the Middle and Northern States, where 

 it is very rare, and we have never seen a specimen quite mature, though 

 the young are tolerably common ; as if the parents sent their children 

 on a tour to finish their education, then to return and marry, and 

 remain contentedly at home. The specimen here figured, was shot on 

 Long Island, and was preserved in Scudder's Museum, New York. 



Its total length is eighteen inches, breadth forty-one ; the bill bluish 

 black ; cere, irides, and feet yellow ; claws black. The plumage above 

 is bluish ashy, much darker on the scapulars, and with the feather-shafts 

 blackish : beneath white, slightly cream-colored on the breast ; the 

 belly, flanks, and lower tail-coverts, with small arrow-shaped spots of 

 yellowish rusty ; the long axillary feathers are crossed with several such 

 spots, taking the appearance of bands : the upper tail-coverts are pure 

 white ; the primaries dusky blackish at the point, edged with paler, and 

 somewhat hoary on the outer vane ; at base, white internally and be- 

 neath. The tail is altogether of a paler ash than the body, tipped with 

 whitish, and with a broad blackish subterminal band ; all the tail- 

 feathers are pure white at their origin under the coverts, the lateral 

 being sub-banded with blackish and white on their inner vanes, and the 

 outer on the greater part of the outer web also ; the shafts are varied 

 with black and white. 



