Sub-Family MILVIN^, The Kites. 



Char. Size usually moderate or small ; general form rather slender and not 

 strong ; wings and tail long ; bill short, weak, hooked and acute ; tarsi and toes 

 slender and weak. Food chiefly reptiles and insects. 



This sub-family comprises those birds commonly known 

 as Kites and Harriers. It is represented in Canada by one 

 genus and a single species. 



Genus CIRCUS, Lacepede. 



Gen Char. Face partly encircled by a ruff of short projecting feathers, as in the Owls ; 

 head rather large ; bill short, compressed, curved from the base ; nostrils large ; wings long, 

 pointed ; tail long tarsi long and slender ; toes moderate ; claws rather weak. 



Circus Cyaneus var. Hudsonius ( Linne.) Sciil. 



MARSH HAWK ; HARRIER ; BLUE HAWK. 

 PL.VTE XVI. 



This commonly met with Hawk frequents our meadows and 

 lowlands, and more particularly such as are in the vicinity of rivers. 

 Its partiality tor moist, boggy places has earned for it in some 

 quarters the expressive but not very elegant name of " Bog- 

 trotter," while the adult male bird, being exceedingly unlike the 

 female and young birds, is pretty universally known as the " Blue 

 Hawk." It is also ordinarily known as the " Brown Hawk," 

 this color of plumage being by far the most common ; indeed 

 there are few collections in Canada which can boast of a specimen 

 in the fight bluish plumage. Observing the scarcity of the Blue 

 Hawk, I long ago revolved in my mind — as many others have 

 done — the question whether this was not in reality a distinct, 

 though undoubtedly closely allied, species ; but from the very few 

 specimens I could find, I was unable to come to any satisfactory 

 conclusion. Mr. Passmore, who had collected for years in the 



