68 



MARSH HAWK. 



being native in both this latitude and that of Britain. We are 

 also informed that it is common in the open and temperate parts 

 of Russia and Siberia; and extends as far as lake Baikal, tho it is 

 said not to be found in the north of Europe.^ 



The Marsh Hawk is twenty-one inches long, and three feet 

 eleven inches in extent ; cere and legs yellow, the former tinged 

 with green, the latter long and slender ; nostril large, triangular, 

 this and the base of the bill thickly covered with strong curving 

 hairs that rise from the space between the eye and bill, arching 

 over the base of the bill and cere ; this is a particular characteris- 

 tic; bill blue, black at the end; eye dark hazel; cartilage over- 

 hanging the eye, and also the eyelid, bluish green ; spot under the 

 eye, and line from the front over it, brownish white ; head above 

 and back dark glossy chocolate brown, the former slightly seamed 

 with bright ferruginous ; scapulars spotted with the same under 

 the surface ; lesser coverts and band of the wing here and there 

 edged with the same ; greater coverts and primaries tipt with 

 whitish ; quills deep brown at the extreme half, some of the outer 

 ones hoary on the exterior edge ; all the primaries yellowish white 

 on the inner vanes and upper half, also barred on the inner vanes 

 with black ; tail long, extending three inches beyond the wings, 

 rounded at the end, and of a pale sorrel color, crossed by four 

 broad bars of very dark brown, the two middle feathers excepted, 

 wliich are barred with deep and lighter shades of chocolate brown; 

 chin pale ferruginous ; round the neck a collar of bright rust co- 

 lor; breast, belly and vent pale rust, shafted with brown ; femo- 

 rals long, tapering, and of the same pale rust tint; legs feathered 

 near an inch below the knee. This was a female. The male dif- 

 fers chiefly in being rather lighter, and somewhat less. 



This Hawk is particularly serviceable to the rice fields of the 

 southern states, by the havock it makes among the clouds of Rice 



* Pallas, as quoted by Pennant. 



