Acdpitres 119 



streaked with brown, the wings and tail being chiefly 

 grey. The female has the tail and under parts brown. 



The Hen-harrier (C. cyaneus], on the other hand, has 

 the sexes perfectly different. The male is blue-grey 

 with white rump and under parts, while the female is 

 brown with some white on the nape and rump, and 

 streaky lower surface. The tail is very distinctly 

 barred, and thence arose the name of " Ring-tail," for 

 the hen was formerly considered a different species 

 from the "Kite" or cock-bird. Abroad the range 

 differs from that of the Marsh Harrier in that the Hen- 

 harrier does not breed numerously to the south of the 

 great mountain ranges of Europe, though it extends to 

 Kamtschatka and has a very nearly allied representa- 

 tive in North America ; in Britain it is now very rare 

 even in its last resorts in Sutherland and the Orkneys, 

 though it used to breed as far south as our eastern 

 fen-lands. This bird makes a less substantial nest than 

 its congener and sometimes has a few rusty markings 

 on the eggs ; with us it now breeds only on heathery 

 moorlands, though on the Continent cornfields and 

 marshy spots are commonly preferred. It flies more 

 lightly than the Marsh Harrier and has a more screaming 

 cry ; otherwise the habits of the two species are very 

 similar. 



Montagu's Harrier (C. pygargus), first distinguished 

 by Colonel Montagu, is a much slighter bird than the 

 Hen-harrier, with a peculiarly light and graceful flight. 

 The facial ruff, which all our Harriers shew more or 

 less, is distinct, the lateral tail-feathers are heavily 

 barred, and the white rump of the male Hen-harrier 

 is conspicuous by its absence. Females are harder to 

 distinguish. It migrates to us in spring, and a few 



