The Keeper's Tree. 227 



The merlin is the smallest of all British hawks, breeds on the 

 ground on the moors in the north of Britain, but is not often seen 

 farther south. The male is light blue on the back, the female is 

 brown. May be known directly from the last by the tail, which 

 extends two inches beyond the closed wings. In all the birds of 

 prey the female is considerably the largest. 



The harriers or hunting hawks, as they used to be called in the 

 fen, are principally confined to fens and large open moors, where 

 they may be seen beating the ground with a slow steady flight, as 

 regularly as the best trained pointer. The only one I ever met with 

 among the stubble and turnips has been the common hen harrier, 

 the male and female of which differ so much in plumage that a 

 man even possessing more ornithological knowledge than the gene- 

 rality of keepers might be well excused in considering them distinct 

 species. 



The harriers are distinguished from all the other hawks by the 

 round disc of feathers encircling the face (like owls), the long 

 pointed wings, and the long thin legs. 



The marsh harrier is the largest, being scarcely smaller than the 

 goshawk, of a dark-brown colour, with a rusty yellow tinge on the 

 head and thighs. Tail scarcely longer than the closed wings. 



The male hen harrier is blue grey above, white underneath, with 

 the outer edge of the wings underneath black. The female, or 

 ringtail as it is called, is brown above, rusty yellow beneath ; 

 smaller than the last. The tail is much longer than the closed 

 wings. 



There is another species which has, I dare say, often been con- 

 founded with the last Montague's harrier. It very much re- 

 sembles the hen harrier, but is rather smaller. The best dis- 

 tinguishing marks are the tail, and the relative length of the wing 

 feathers. In Montague's harrier the tail is level with the closed 

 wings, and the third wing feather is the longest. In the hen 

 harrier the third and fourth wing feathers are equal, and the 

 tail, as I before observed, is much longer than the closed wings. 



I have a great doubt whether an owl of any kind that is met 



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