I04 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap. 



bird, the hawk darts rapidly to a height of about twenty feet, 

 hovers for a moment, and then comes down with unerring aim 

 on his victim, striking dead with a single blow partridge or 

 pheasant, grouse or black-cock, and showing a strength not to 

 be expected from his light figure and slender though sharp 

 talons. 



I saw on a hill-side in Ross-shire a hen-harrier strike a 

 heath hen. I instantly drove him away, but too late, as the 

 head of the bird was cut as clean off by the single stroke as if 

 done with a knife. On another day, when passing over the hill 

 in the spring, I was attended 'by a hen-harrier for some time, 

 who struck down and killed two hen grouse that I had put up. 

 Both these birds I contrived to take from him ; but a third 

 grouse rose, and was killed and carried off over the brow of a 

 hill before I could get up to him. There is no bird more 

 difficult to shoot than this. Hunting always in the open 

 country, though appearing intent on nothing but his game, the 

 wary bird, with an instinctive knowledge of the range of shot, 

 will keep always just out of reach, and frequently carry off 

 before your very face the partridge you have flushed, and 

 perhaps wounded. 



There is a diversity of opinion whether the hawk commonly 

 called the ringtail is the female of the hen-harrier. I have, 

 however, no doubt at all on the subject. The ringtail is 

 nothing more than the female or young bird. The male does 

 not put on his blue and white plumage till he is a year old. 

 I have frequently found the nest both on the mountain, where 

 they build in a patch of rough heather, generally by the side of 

 a burn, and also in a furze-bush. Though very destructive to 

 grouse and other game, this bird has one redeeming quality, 

 which is, that he is a most skilful rat-catcher. Skimming 

 silently and rapidly throi^h a rickyard, he seizes on any 

 incautious rat who may be exposed to view ; and from the 

 habit this hawk has of hunting very late in the evening, many 

 of these vermin fall to his share. Though of so small and light 

 a frame, the hen-harrier strikes down a mallard without difficulty ; 

 and the marsh and swamp are his favourite hunting-grounds. 

 Quick enough to catch a snipe, and strong enough to kill a 

 mallard, nothing escapes him. Although so courageous in 

 pursuit of game, he is a wild, untameable bird in captivity ; and 



