96 FALCONID.E. 



appearance, must have been hatched much later. In about 

 a month, it was evident from the size, that there was but one 

 male, so that all my hopes rested on this single life. As 

 they became full feathered, there was at first no distinction 

 in plumage, but the eyes of the supposed male were always 

 lighter than those of the others, whose irides were so dark as 

 not to be distinguished at a small distance from the pupil. 

 In the dress of the Ringtail, the whole continued through the 

 winter, when the one which had been weakly from the first, 

 died. This circumstance induced me to force a premature 

 change in some of the quill and tail-feathers of the others, 

 fearing some accident might frustrate my earnest desire of 

 bringing the matter to a decisive proof; and about the 

 middle of June, I was highly gratified by discovering an 

 appearance of the new feathers, in the place of those which 

 had been plucked out, that clearly evinced the smaller bird 

 to be a Hen Harrier, and the larger a Ringtail. Thus I 

 had compelled nature to disclose her secrets before the ap- 

 pointed time ; for in every other respect their plumage was 

 yet similar, excepting about the sides of the face, which were 

 paler in colour in the former, in which also the irides were 

 of a dull yellow, somewhat mottled ; whereas in the latter 

 they still continued dark. The male had, about the 20th 

 of July, thrown out many of the new feathers naturally, 

 especially the greater coverts of the wings, and a few grey 

 feathers on different parts of the body. On the 20th of 

 August, the greater part of the quill and tail-feathers were 

 grown to their full length, and a gradual increase of grey 

 feathers appeared on most other parts. The eyes also be- 

 came more orange ; but it was not till the middle of Sep- 

 tember that it had attained that state which made it desirable 

 to be retained as an existing fact of the change ; it was then 

 killed, and is now in my museum. 



" In this state the plumage of the Ringtail, or female, 



