spirals, holding its broad wings almost horizontally, and spread 

 so that the primaries stand widely apart; for half their length, 

 and in this joyous movement they will remain aloft for hours 

 on end. 



But for the untiring effori:s of the Royal Society for the 

 Protection of Birds, none of our larger birds of prey — save, 

 perhaps, the golden eagle, which is carefully cherished in 

 the deer forests — would now be left to us. The case of our 

 harriers seemed hopeless. But, thanks to a zealous protec- 

 tion, a remnant remains. 



The harriers are in many ways extremely interesting 

 birds. In appearance, when closely examined, they present 

 one remarkable feature. And this is found in the cturious 

 arrangement of the feathers of the face which radiate from 

 the eye as a centre, as in the owls, to form a " facieJ disc." 

 They are all large birds, of slender build, and have a habit 

 of flying close to the ground with their long, slender legs 

 dangling, crossing and recrossing the same area till they are 

 sure they have examined it thoroughly. Frogs, eggs, small 

 birds, and voles form their principal food. Every now and 

 again they wiU rise and circle round at a considerable height, 

 seeking a new feeding-ground. 



The marsh-harrier is our largest harrier, and has rounded 

 wings and slower wing-beats than the others, from which it 

 is further readily distinguished by its chocolate-brown colora- 



100 



