227 
COMMON HARRIER. 
Circus cyaneus. — Fleming. 
PLATE XXII. 
Male — Falco cyaneus, Linn Circus cyaneus, Flem. Br. 
Anim. Selby, (fc. — Hen Harrier of Brit. Ornithol.— 
Female — Falco pygargus, Linn Ringtail of British 
Ornithologists. 
The identity of the Hen Harrier and Ringtail, 
as the different sexes of this species, has been long 
since proved ; but although the fact was known 
to Willoughby, who describes the latter as “ the 
Ringtail, the male whereof is called the Hen 
Harrier,”* the ornithologists of the last and 
beginning of the present century, entered into 
many discussions regarding it, and some interest- 
ing anecdotes of their habits will be found de- 
tailed by Montaguef and Dr Heysham.i 
The Common Harrier is one of the most 
familiar as well as most typical species of this 
genus, formerly abundant in all the more exten- 
sive wastes, commons, or downs of England ; 
* Willoughby Ornithologies, p. 72. 
t Dictionary and Linmean Transactions, 
t In Hutchinson’s History of Cumberland. 
