228 
COMMON HARRIER. 
frequent in the greater part of Scotland, hunting 
the lower lands in the winter, and the subalpine 
ranges during the season of incubation ; and of 
general distribution in Ireland, where it affects 
similar localities. 
Among our latest ornithological writers, there 
seems a difference of opinion as to the range of 
the Common Harrier, and whether the birds 
procured from the American continent are the 
same. 
The Prince of Musignano considers the birds 
identical ; while Mr Sw'ainson and Dr Richardson 
describe species with a query, and under the title 
of C. Americanus. I have generally observed the 
American birds to be larger than those of this 
country, and having the tarsi stronger and pro- 
portionally longer ; and it is probable that America 
may possess a bird distinct from the true European 
Harrier ; it may also be remarked that, in the 
figure of the American bird given in the Northern 
Zoology, the lower parts and insides of the wings 
are represented spotted, whereas the birds of 
Britain on the same parts are pure and immacu- 
late ; a similar arrangement of colouring is repre- 
sented in the figure given by the Prince of 
Musignano. 
In the third volume of our edition of Wilson’s 
North American Ornithology,* we gave an account 
* Wilson’s N- A. Ornithol. Edited by Sir W. Jardine, 
HI. p. 392. 
