CIRCUS ^RUGINOSUS. 
Marsh-Harrier. 
Falco cpriiffinosus, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 23. 
rufus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 266. 
Circus ceruffinosus, Savig. Descr. de I’Egypte, Hist. Nat., tom. i. p. 90. 
rufus, Savig. ibid., p. 91. 
Falco nrundinaceus, Bechst. 
Kramer i, Kram. 
Accipiter circus, Pall. Zoog. Ross.-Asiat., tom. i. p. 362. 
Circus variegatus, Sykes, Proc. of Comm, of Sci. and Corr., 1832, p. 81. 
rufus, var. indicus, Less. Compl. Buff., tom. vii. p. 155. 
Sykesi, Less, ibid., p. 161. 
Buteo cerugmosus, Flem. Hist, of Brit. Anim., p. 55. 
Accipiter cerugmosus, Koch, Syst. der Baier. Zook, p. 119. 
Pygargus rufus, Kaup, Class, der Saugeth. und Vbg., p. 113. 
Buteo rufus, Jenyns, Man. Brit. Vert. Anim., p. 88. 
That the |)hysical condition of a country determines the birds, reptiles, and insects which resort thereto, is 
evident to every naturalist ; for he sees that the low fenny portions of our globe, its hills, and woodlands are 
frequented by forms peculiar to each. Harriers generally inhabit open wastes, moorlands, and flat sedgy 
districts ; but the bird here represented, which is one of the largest members of the genus Circus, resorts 
more particularly to the great marshy depressions of the countries wherein it is destined to dwell. In 
Britain it was always more abundant in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Huntingdon, and Lincolnshire than 
elsewhere, those parts, in fact, which are opposite to the Low Countries (Belgium and Holland) ; but the 
draining process, which has converted our fens and rush-beds into fields of waving oats, has sadly 
interfered with its comforts by depriving it of its natural feeding-grounds ; wherever such transformations 
have been effected, a death-blow to the Marsh-Harrier was the consequence. In Holland, however, 
there are districts in which the conditions favourable to its existence remain unchanged ; and there it still 
dwells in comparative security, and readily obtains its usual food of reptiles, insects, small quadrtqieds, fish, 
and young marsh-birds ; there it still flaps over the tops of the reed-beds, or buoyantly flies up and 
down the open marsh in pursuit of its prey. How different are its actions from those of the fleet chase- 
giving Falcons, the lazy offal-feeding Kites, or the pouncing Hawks ! The Rev. R. Lubbock, in his 
‘ Observations on tbe Fauna of Norfolk,’ published in 1845, says : — “ the Marsh Harrier might, twenty years 
back, have been termed the Norfolk Hawk, so generally was it dispersed among the broads. Almost every 
pool of any extent had its pair of these birds ; they consumed the day in beating round and round the reeds 
which skirted the water ; this was done for hours incessantly. All the birds wounded by the sportsmen fell 
to his share. He was, as it were, the genius loci, the sovereign of the waste ; but, although still often to 
be met with, he has, like all his congeners, receded before the gun of the gamekeeper ; the curse of his 
race is upon him. I once kept one of these birds in confinement. It was full-grown when taken ; its 
courage and ferocity were very great, perpetually endeavouring to attack those who went close to its mew. 
It killed a large land-rat, put into its cage uninjilred, in an instant. Sir T. Browne represents it as 
occasionally carrying off the young of the otter to feed its nestlings with. I have found the nest amongst a 
bunch of reeds on Barton fen with two young. Mr. Gould first, I believe, noticed the grey tinge which old 
males of this species assume, somewhat similar to the colouring of the Hen-Harrier. This, I think, must 
occur only in very old specimens. I never remember having seen it but once in any specimen upon the wing ; 
and formerly on the larger broads one or two were sure to be observed in the course of the day. At the 
time I thought the reflexion of the sun caused the bird to look greyish, but am inclined now to tbink that 
it was in the stage of plumage mentioned by Mr. Gould. In decoys this is a most troublesome bird, keeping 
the fowl in such continual restlessness that the decoy man can do nothing with them.” 
If we consult the various writers on British Birds (Yarrell, MacGillivray, Thom])son, and Morris), or the 
local faunas that have been written of most of our counties, we shall find that the Marsh-Harrier has a place 
in the whole of them. In Cornwall, Mr. Rodd tells us, it is “rare throughout the whole county; a few 
specimens have been procured at the Land’s-end, Boswharton Moor, and Lamorna ; but the species ajipears 
to become more rare every year.” Thompson states that it is found and is resident in all suitable loalities in 
Ireland, and, as might be expected from the nature of the country, is of more frequent occurrence there than 
in Scotland, where MacGillivray informs us that it is very rare in the northern and middle divisions, but 
