THE HARRIERS. 
125 
Europe and the whole of Asia, Australia and New Zealand, 
and even the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Although they 
are really Long-legged Hawks, of the same type as the Sparrow- 
Hawks, the ruff which they have round their face has suggested 
their alliance with the Owls, and it is usual in works on Natural 
History to find the Harriers placed near the Owls on account 
of this peculiarity, which, however, is shared by the Ruffed 
(}os-Hawks {Micrastur), and no one has as yet suggested 
that the latter are allied to Owls. In ray opinion, this single 
character shows no absolute affinity whatever between the 
Harriers or the Ruffed Gos-Hawks and the Owls, which are 
altogether distinct and separate. That the genus Micrastur and 
the genus Circiis have certain relationship is further proved by 
the fact that both genera have the hinder aspect of the tarsus 
covered with reticulate scales. 
Three species of Harriers are found in Great Britain. They 
are all now more or less rare, but were more common before 
the draining of the marsh-lands deprived them of so much 
of their congenial habitat. 
I. THE HEN-HARRIER. CIRCUS CYANEUS. 
Fako cyaneus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 126 (1766). 
Circus' cyaneus,}Aa.cg\\L Brit. B. iii. p. 366 (i860); Newton, 
ed. Yarn Brit. B. i. p. 132 (1871); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. 
Mus. i. p. 52 (1874); Dresser, B. Eur. v. p. 431, pis. 75, 
76 (1879); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 93 (1883); Seebohm, 
Brit. B. i. p. 128 (1883) ; Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 307 
(1889); Lilford, Col. Eig. Brit. B. part xxi. (1892). 
(Plate XLII.) 
Adult Male. — Clear blue-grey or bluish ash-colour, lighter on 
the greater wing-coverts, which are silvery-grey ; under-parts 
white, the throat and upper breast blue-grey ; base of fore- 
head and lores whitish, the ruff also mottled with white; 
primary quills black both above and below, wifb a white 
base to the inner web; the secondaries silvery-grey, with 
black shafts, and an indistinct sub-terminal band of black ; 
upper tail-coverts white ; tail-feathers ashy-grey, tipped with 
white, the four central feathers uniform, the rest more or less 
white on the inner webs, with remains of ashy bars ; cere 
yellow ; bill bluish-black ; feet yellow, claws black ; iris 
