OBSERVATIOA 7 S ON BIRDS. 393 



flavour to their flesh, that is, to me, very palatable : the flavour 

 also of wild ducks and geese greatly depends on the nature of 

 their food ; and their flesh frequently contracts a rank unpleasant 

 taste, from their having lately fed on strong marshy aquatic plants, 

 as I suppose. 



That the leaves of vegetables are wholesome and conducive to 

 the health of birds, seems probable, for many people fat their 

 ducks and turkeys with the leaves of lettuce chopped small. 



MARKWICK. 



THE HEN-HARRIER (Circus cyaneus). 



HEN-HARRIER. 



A neighbouring gentleman sprung a pheasant in a wheat stubble, 

 and shot at it ; when, notwithstanding the report of the gun, it 

 was immediately pursued by the blue hawk, known by the name 

 of the hen-harrier, but escaped into some covert. He then sprung 

 a second, and a third, in the same field, that got away in the same 

 manner ; the hawk hovering round him all the while that he was 



