FALCON. 271 



214.— MARSH HAWK. 



Falco uliginosus, Lid. Orn. \. p. 40. Gm.Lin.i. 278. Daud.'n. 105 

 Busard de Marais, Vieill. Amer. i. p. 37. 

 La Buse brune des Champs, Voy. d'Azara iii. No. 33. 



Marsh-Hawk, Gen. Syn. i. 90. Edw. pi. 291. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 173. Burtram 

 Trav. 286. Shaw's Zool. vii. 166. Amer. Orn. vi. p. 07. 



IN this the bill, cere, and legs are like tliose of the Hen-Har- 

 rier ; irides hazel ; plumage, in general, resembling that of the 

 Ring-tail, but is a larger bird, being two feet in length; the ears are 

 surrounded with a kind of wreath of whitish feathers, and a black 

 line from the bill passes through the eye, beneath which is a white 

 mark or two; ramp white; tail dusky brown, crossed with four 

 blackish bands. 



Inhabits Pennsylvania, frequenting marshy places in the summerj 

 feeding on small birds, frogs, snakes, and lizards. I received one 

 of these from Jamaica, scarcely differing ; it was described to be a 

 bold spirited bird, and that it would not hesitate to kill chickens, 

 pigeons, &c. in the sight of any one. 



Edwards observes, that the tail is rather shorter than in the 

 Ring-tail, and Mr. Pennant hints, that the legs being stouter, and 

 shorter, make it distinct from that bird ; but in those which have come 

 under our inspection, the legs are not different from those of tlie 

 European Ring-tail, and it is probable that they are, in fact, really 

 but one, and the same species. 



M. d'Azara found this in Paraguay, and about the river Plata, 

 in South America ; but it is far from common there. 



