BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 119 



GENUS CIRCUS LACEPEDB. 

 Circus hudsonius (LiNN.). 



Marsh Hawk ; Harrier ; Bog-trotter. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate IS). 



Face partly encircled by a ruff or imperfect facial disc of small stiffened feathers, 

 as in the owls ; nostrils large ; wings long and pointed ; tail long ; tarsus long and 

 slender. 



Male. Light bluish-gray above and on neck and breast; upper tail-coverts and 

 most of under parts white ; some under feathers under wings and lower part of 

 breast and abdomen spotted with rusty. Female and young are dark-brown above, 

 streaked on head and neck with reddish-brown ; below reddish-brown, much 

 brighter in some specimens than others ; upper tail coverts white. Length of female 

 about 18 to 20 inches ; extent about 44 ; tail 9 or 10 inches ; bill and claws blackish ; 

 legs, feet and eyes yellow. 



Habitat. North America in general, south to Panama. 



The Marsh Hawk is most frequently seen throughout Pennsylvania 

 in the spring- and fall, but it breeds often in different parts of the state, 

 and in some of the southern counties it is found during 1 all months of 

 the year. Its nests, with eggs or young, have been found by the fol- 

 lowing gentlemen in their respective counties. Dr. John W. Detwiller, 

 Northampton; R C. Wrenshall, Allegheny; H. J. Eoddy, Perry; Dr. 

 Van Fleet, Clinton ; Geo. S. Morris, Philadelphia ; Hon. G. S. Brown, 

 York; Otto Behr, Sullivan; W. W. Stoey, Dauphin, and J. L. Camp, 

 Bradford. I have observed the Marsh Hawk to be most numerous in 

 the fall, frequenting the extensive and grassy meadow-lands, chiefly 

 about the large streams. 



When flying this species can easily be distinguished from other 

 hawks by the white upper tail-coverts, so conspicuous in the females 

 and immature birds, or those usually met with. The old male, rare and 

 seldom found in this section, can be recognized by the bluish-white 

 plumage. 



The nest of the Marsh Hawk differs from that of all others of the 

 family which breed here, in being placed on the ground, and usually, it 

 is said, in a swamp or meadow. The nest, according to differeDt 

 writers, is composed of sticks, grasses, hay, etc., or sometimes no nest 

 is made, the eggs simply being deposited on a bed of grass, moss, etc., 

 on the ground. " Eggs, three to eight, 1.80 by 1.41, white or bluish- 

 white, usually plain, but often more or less spotted or blotched with 

 pale brown." Ridgway. 



Notwithstanding the fact that these hawks rarely, if ever, prey upon 

 any kind of game except sometimes an occasional Reed bird, gunners, 

 who so industriously search over the swamps, never fail to destroy every 

 Marsh Hawk which comes within range of their deadly weapons. 



Marsh Hawks never, to my knowledge, disturb poultry, but subsist 



