450 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



He also describes their flight as graceful, vigorous, and protracted. 

 It feeds on the wing with great ease and dexterity. It rarely, if 

 ever, ahghts on the earth; and, when wounded, its movements on 

 the ground are vei-y awkward. It is never kno\\Ti to attack birds 

 or quadrupeds of any kind, though it vnll pursue and annoy foxes 

 and crows, and drive them to seek shelter from its attacks. The 

 Mississippi Kite is said to be by no means a shy bird, and may be 

 easily approached when alight, yet it usually perches so high that 

 it is not always easy to shoot it. (Brewer.) 



Genus CIRCUS Lacepede. 



Circus LACEPftDE. Mem. de I'lnst. iii. 1S06, 5<I6. Type Faico cyaneus Linn. 



Gen. Chak. Form very slender, the wings and tail very long, the head small, bil) 

 weak, and feet slender. Face surrounded by a ruff of sti£f. compact feathers, as in the 

 Owls. Claws strongly curved, very acute. Wings very long, the third or fourth auills 

 longest; first shorter than the sixth; outer three to five with inner webs sinuated. Tail 

 very long, about two thirds the wing; rounded. 



The relationships of this well-marked genus are to Accipiter on 

 the one hand, and Elanus on the other ; nearest the former, though 

 it is not veiy intimately alhed to either. 



The species are quite numerous, numbering about twenty, of which 

 only three are American. North America possesses but one (C. 

 hudsonius, Linn.), and this with the C. cinerciis, Vieill., of South 

 America, is closely related structurally to C. cijaneus of Europe, 

 but is sufficiently distinct. 



The birds of this genus frequent open, generally marshy, locali- 

 ties, where they course over the meadows, moors, or marshes, with 

 a steady, ghding flight, seldom flapping, in pursuit of their food, 

 which consists mainly of mice, small birds, and reptiles. Their 

 assault upon their prey is sudden and determined, hke the "Swift 

 Hawks," or the species of Accipiter. 



Circus hudsonius (Linn.) 



MAESH HAWK. 



Popular synonyms. American Harrier; Bing-talled Harrier, 

 Falco hndsonius LiNN. S. N. ed. 12.1, 1766. 128. 

 Circus ftudsonius ViErLL. 1807.— Cass, in Baird'sB. N. Am. 1858, 38.— Baikd, Cat N. 



Am. I B. 1859.No. 38.— RiDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 430. 

 Circus cyaneus hudsonius ScHLEO. Mus. P.-B. C'irci, 1862, 2.— CoOKS.SdOheckList, 

 1882, No. 489. 



