272 
MARSH HAWK. 
with six or seven narrow bars of white, rounded at the end, 
and also tipt with white ; the breast and chin are marked with 
a large spot of brown olive ; upper part of the breast, light ; 
lower, and all the parts below, elegantly barred with dark 
brown and white ; legs and feet, covered to and beyond the 
claws with long whitish plumage, slightly yellow, and barred 
with fine lines of olive ; claws, horn colour. The weight of 
this bird was twelve ounces. 
The female is much darker above ; the quills are nearly 
black ; and the upper part of the breast is blotched with deep 
blackish brown. 
It is worthy of remark, that, in all Owls that fly by night, 
the exterior edges and sides of the wing-quills are slightly 
recurved, and end in fine hairs or points; by which means* 
the bird is enabled to pass through the air with the greatest 
silence, a provision necessary for enabling it the better to 
surprise its prey. In the Hawk Owl now before us, which 
flies by day, and to whom this contrivance would be of no 
consequence, it is accordingly omitted, or at least is scarcely 
observable. So judicious, so wise, and perfectly applicable, 
are all the dispositions of the Creator ! 
MARSH HAWK FALCO UL1GINOSUS. 
Plate LI. Fig. 2. 
JEdw. iv. 291 Lath. i. 90 Arct. Zool. p. 208, No. 105. — Bartram , p. 290 
Beale's Museum , No. 318. 
CIRCUS CYANEUS. — Bechstein.* 
Falco (sub-gen. Circus,) Bonap. Synop. p. 33 Buteo (Circus) cyaneus? var. 
Americanus, North. Zool. ii. p. 55. 
A drawing of this Hawk was transmitted to Mr Edwards, 
more than fifty years ago, by Mr William Bartram, and 
engraved in Plate 291 of Edwards' Ornithology. At that 
time, and I believe till now, it has been considered as a species 
peculiar to this country. 
* See note in Yol. III. accompanying description of the male. — Ed. 
1 
