392 THE GAME PRESERVER'S GUIDE. 



THE HEX HARRIER (Circus cyaneus). 



The male of this species is known as the Dove Hawk, or 

 Blue Hawk; while che name Ringtail is applied to the 

 female in many parts of the country. The origin of the 

 generic term " Harrier" has already been alluded to, and the 

 specific prefix is given from the fondness for chickens which 

 this bird displays, worrying the hen .for them continually, 

 and hence called the Hen harrier. Like the marsh harrier, 

 it is fond of low ground, and it is especially likely to be met 

 with on lands reclaimed from the sea, but still so barren as 

 to be given up to ling and rushes. Here it may be seen 

 hunting near the ground for reptiles, or for leverets, which 

 are partial to such situations ; and for this reason the bird is 

 not left unmolested by the keeper. The male and female 

 vary in colour and size, and for a long time they were con- 

 sidered to be two distinct species. Hence they must be 

 separately described. 



The adult male or Blue Hawk is about eighteen inches in 

 length ; colour as follows : Bill bluish black ; cere and iris 

 yellow ; lore covered with black hair, radiating from a centre 

 and hiding the nostrils; head, neck, chin, throat, and upper 

 parts of the body and tail ash grey; primaries brown black, 

 not reaching to the end of the tail; breast and belly bluish 

 white; thighs and under tail coverts white; under surface of 

 tail pale greyish white, slightly barred ; legs and toes slender 

 and yellow; claws black (see fig.). The young males, up to 

 the second moulting, are brown, and similar in colour to the 

 female, presently to be described, but of smaller size. 



The adult female, known as the Ringtail, is twenty inches 

 long; bill black; cere greenish yellow; iris reddish brown; 

 crown of the head and nape of the neck umber; a narrow 

 collar of reddish brown round the neck ; a light-brown streak 

 over the eye; the hairy disc round the bill of a mixed brown 

 and white; upper parts of a uniform umber brown, the 

 smaller wing coverts being edged with reddish brown; 

 primaries brown black ; central tail-feather umber brown, 

 those on the outside being dark brown, barred with reddish 

 brown; all the under parts of a reddish buff colour, each 

 feather having a central spot of reddish brown; under 



