MARSH HARRIER. HEN HARRIER. 37 



that of two taken from the same nest and brought up 

 tame, one of them had a bright luteous mark on the 

 head, and the other was entirely of a dark chocolate 

 colour. The nest was built on a tree." Of the habits 

 of this harrier in confinement the same author adds 

 " The bird now in the possession of the Rev. G. Glover 

 is particularly fond of rats and mice, which it devours 

 with avidity. In rainy weather it invariably makes a 

 hole in the earth with its beak, for the purpose of re- 

 taining the water, which it seems to enjoy as a luxury." 

 Mr. Rising, of Horsey, possesses a fine adult specimen 

 of the marsh harrier, killed some years back in that 

 neighbourhood, which like the figure in Yarrell's 

 " British Birds," exhibits more grey than brown on the 

 wing coverts, tertials, and tail feathers ; and a splendid 

 old male, purchased at Yarmouth some 15 years ago by 

 Mr. Spalding, of Westleton, has the tail coverts, thighs, 

 and crest, rich reddish yellow, the latter streaked with 

 dark brown, and the tail and wing primaries very grey. 

 These birds may be taken with a steelfall baited with an 

 egg, being apparently very partial to such diet, and 

 there is no doubt that Sir Thos. Browne refers to this 

 species when he says, e< Young otters are sometimes 

 preyed upon by buzzards, having occasionally been found 

 in the nests of these birds. * * * There are the 

 grey and bald buzzards in great numbers, owing to the 

 broad waters and warrens which afford them more food 

 than they can obtain in woodland countries." 



CIRCUS CYANEUS (Linnaeus). 

 HEN HARRIER. 



At no time so numerous in this county as the last 

 species, at least as regards the district of the broads 

 the Hen Harrier can be classed only amongst those 



