HARRIERS. 



595 



(Circus ranivorus), which is a native of South Africa, where it feeds 

 principally on frogs and fish ; the Pale-chested Harrier and Jardine's 

 Harrier (C. Swainso?iii and C. Jardinii) ; and the Ash-coloured 

 Harrier (C. cinerescens), which is met with in the extreme south. of 

 America. The latter has great powers of flight, and is always in 

 motion, never halting except to seize its prey ; it is very wild, and 

 can only be approached when feeding. 



Fig. 279. — Hen Harrier. 



The Caracaras are a race of birds which form a link between 

 the Falcon and the Vulture families. They have, like the latter, the 

 projecting crop, goggle eyes, head partly bare of feathers, toes long, 

 especially the middle one, and the claws but slightly crooked. They 

 show a decided taste for putrid carrion. However, they do not feed 

 exclusively on it, for when opportunity offers they capture mammals, 

 young birds, reptiles, molluscs, grasshoppers, and even worms. These 

 birds are essentially pedestrians ; the slight curvature of their claws 

 renders this easy, and it is not an unfrequent thing to see them walk 

 at a slow pace for considerable distances. . -;^f * 



Their name is derived from the cry which they utter. They are 



m m 2 



