228 COMMON HARRIER. 



frequent in the greater part of Scotland, hunting 

 the lower lands in the winter, and the subalpine 

 ranges during the season of incubation ; and of 

 general distribution in Ireland, where it affects 

 similar localities. 



Among our latest ornithological writers, there 

 seems a difference of opinion as to the range of 

 the Common Harrier, and whether the birds 

 procured from the American continent are the 

 same. 



The Prince of Musignano considers the birds 

 identical ; while Mr Swainson and Dr Richardson 

 describe species with a query, and under the title 

 of C. Americanus. I have generally observed the 

 American birds to be larger than those of this 

 country, and having the tarsi stronger and pro- 

 portionally longer ; and it is probable that America 

 may possess a bird distinct from the true European 

 Harrier ; it may also be remarked that, in the 

 figure of the American bird given in the Northern 

 Zoology, the lower parts and insides of the wings 

 are represented spotted, whereas the birds of 

 Britain on the same parts are pure and immacu- 

 late ; a similar arrangement of colouring is repre- 

 sented in the figure given by the Prince of 

 Musignano. 



In the third volume of our edition of Wilson's 

 North American Ornithology,* we gave an account 



* Wilson's N. A. Ornithol. Edited by Sir W. Jardinc. 

 I!I. p. 392. 



