74 THE ASH-COLORED FALCON. 



to present a kind of mottled buff and chestnut aspect ; the upper surface of the tail is marked 

 with partial dark bands and its under surface is very distinctly bound with broad bands of 

 black and grayish-white. The funnel-shaped depression round the eyes, technically called the 

 concha, or shell, is brown towards the base of the feathers, but merges into a white eyebrow 

 above, reaching to the cere, and in a white streak below, edged with bro\^ni. The length of 

 the female is about two inches more than that of the male, and her spread of wing is about 

 three feet six inches. 



Another example of this genus is to be found in the Moor Buzzard as the bird has very 

 wrongly been termed, or the Marsh Harrier, as it ought more properly to be named. The 

 bird is also known as the Duck Hawk and Harpy. 



This handsome bird is considerably larger than the preceding species, the female being 

 about two feet in length, and the male about three inches shorter. It is not a very uncommon 

 bird, being found most extensively upon marshy ground, where it can obtain abundance of 

 food. It generally preys on water birds, mice, water rats, various I'eptiles, frogs, rats, and 

 lisli. It is rather partial to yf)ung game, and is apt to be a dangerous neighbor to a preserve, 

 snatching the young partridges and pheasants from their parents. Sometimes it is sufficiently 

 bold to enter the precincts of the farm, and to carry away a young chicken or a duckling. 

 Rabbits also, both young and old, fall victims to this rapacious bird, which sweeps on noise- 

 less wing over the common, carefully choosing the morning and evening, when the rabbits are 

 almost sure to be out of their burrows. 



The Marsh Harrier appears never to take up its residence in dry localities, but always to 

 prefer the fenny district, whether of the coast or inland. The nest of this species is jilaced on 

 the ground, and is composed of twigs or stems of coarse grass, and is sheltered from observa- 

 tion l>y an overhanging bush, or by a tuft of rushes, fern, or long grass. The eggs are white, 

 and about three or four in number. 



Like the hen harrier, the male Marsh Harrier is of a much grayer- tint than his mate, the 

 gray hues being not fully assumed until the bird has completed his third year, and spreading 

 more widely on each successive year. 



The Marsh Hawk {Circus Jiudsonhis) is the only one in America of numerous species. 

 It is called American Harrier from its supposed resemblance in habit to the English bird of 

 that name. It is especially a meadow or marsh Inrd. It is held in good esteem by the planters 

 of the Southern States, as it drives away the rice birds while it hunts the fields for its o\vn 

 prey. It is widely distributed ; in New England it is very common. 



The Ash-colored Falcon, sometimes called Montague's Harrier, is frequently found 

 in Nepal and other parts of Asia, but it is also a resident of Euroj^e. 



This species is more slender in its form than either of the two preceding birds, being 

 hardly more than two-thirds of the weight of the hen harrier, although its length is nearly 

 the same. In its habits it is very like the hen harrier, skimming over the ground in much 

 the same manner, but with a more rapid flight. Its food consists chiefly of small birds and 

 reptiles, to the latter of which creatures the Ash-colored Falcon appears to be especially partial, 

 no less than five lizards having been found in the stomach of one of these birds. It is not very 

 uncommon in fenny districts of Europe. Specimens of this bird have also been obtained in 

 Nepal and other parts of India, and it is also said to be an inhabitant of Southern Africa. 



The color of the adult male is bluish-gi'ay on the upper parts of the body, the secondaries 

 being marked with three bars of dark -gray brown, and the primaries black. The upper 

 surface of the tail is bluish-gray upon the central feathers, and white upon those at the side, 

 marked with sevei'al liars of orange-red ; their under-surface is grayish-white, with several 

 transverse bars of grayish -brown. The under parts of the body are nearly white, barred with 

 numerous transversH streaks of orange-red, like those on the tail. Tlie legs and toes are 

 yellow, the cere is yellowish-green, and the beak is almost black. The length of the bird is 

 about seventeen inches. 



