110 FALCONIDJ3. 



on the nest. The young are hatched early in June, and 

 are at first covered with white down. 



The Hen Harrier, though nowhere very numerous, is 

 pretty generally distributed in England, Ireland, and Scot- 

 land. It inhabits the Hebrides and Orkneys, remaining 

 in those northern islands all the winter. It appears to be 

 less perfectly known in Scandinavia : but has been killed 

 on some of the islands in the Baltic. Pennant, in his Arc- 

 tic Zoology, says it is common in the open and temperate 

 parts of Russia and Siberia, and extends as far as Lake 

 Baikal. The Hen Harrier also inhabits Germany, France, 

 Holland, Italy, Turkey, the Morea, Corfu, Sicily, and 

 Malta ; it was obtained at Smyrna by Mr. Strickland, and 

 at Trebizond by K. E. Abbot, Esq. Le Vaillant found 

 it in Africa, and describes it under the name of Le Busard 

 Grenouillard. 



Whether the Hen Harrier of North America be really 

 identical with the Hen Harrier of Europe, is a point that 

 is still debated. M. Temminck considers the specimens 

 from Africa, and also those of North America, to be iden- 

 tical with those of Europe. Wilson the Ornithologist, 

 the Prince of Musignano, who has added four parts to 

 the American Ornithology of Wilson, uniform in size 

 and appearance with the original work, and Audubon, 

 consider the Hen Harrier of North America the same as 

 that of Europe. Sir John Richardson and Mr. Swainson 

 appear to have some doubts on this point, but have adopted 

 the nomenclature and synonymes of the European Hen 

 Harrier ; and indeed there is but slight difference in the 

 markings of the plumage in the birds of the two countries, 

 and none whatever in the habits. If this point of the 

 identity of these two birds be admitted, the Hen Harrier 

 may then be said to inhabit the whole of North America, 

 in addition to the other localities already enumerated ; and 



