292 
HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES 
This species is a summer resident in southern Florida. It arrives 
from the south in February. Mr. W. E. D. Scott writes of it as observed 
at Lake Panasofkee, Florida: “Their food at this point apparently 
consists of a kind of large, fresh-water snail, which is very abundant, 
and the local name of ‘Snail-Hawk’ is particularly applicable to this 
bird as I have met with it. They fish over the shallow water, remind- 
ing one of Gulls in their motions; and having secured a snail by diving, 
they immediately carry it to the nearest available perch, where the 
animal is dexterously taken from the shell without injury to the latter.” 
(Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club , VI, 1881, p. 16.) 
331. Circus hudsonius (Linn.). Marsh Hawk. Ad. d”. — Upperparts 
gray or ashy ; upper tail-coverts white; tail silvery gray, irregularly barred 
or marked with blackish; upper breast pearl-gray; the lower breast and 
belly white, spotted or barred with rufous. Ad. 9 . — Upperparts fuscous, 
the head and neck streaked, and the wing-coverts spotted or margined 
with rufous; longer upper tail-coverts white; midd'e tail-feathers barred with 
ashy and black, others barred with ochraceous-buff and black; underparts 
ochraceous-buff, widely streaked on the breast and narrowly streaked on the 
belly with fuscous or light umber. Im . — Similar to the $, but somewhat 
darker above; the underparts darker, almost rufous; the belly without 
streaks. d” L., 19*00; W., 13*75; T., 9*00; B. from N., *60. $ L., 22*00; W., 
15*00; T., 10*00. 
Range. — N. A. Breeds from ne. Siberia, nw. Alaska, nw. Mackenzie, 
cen. Keewatin, n. Que., and Prince Edward Is. s. to the s. border of the U. 
S. ; winters from s. B. C., Colo., Iowa, the Ohio Valley, and N. Y. (occasion- 
ally Mass.) s. to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Colombia. 
Washington, common W. V., July-Apl. Ossining, tolerably common 
S. R., Mch. 6-Oct. 30; a few winter. Cambridge, common T. V., 
Mch. 20-Nov. 10, one breeding record. N. Ohio, not common S. R., Mch. 
5-Nov. 30. Glen Ellyn, S. R., several pairs, Apl. 4-Nov. 6. SE. Minn., 
common S. R., Mch. 6-Nov. 1. 
Nest, on the ground, in marshes. Eggs, 4-6, dull white or pale bluish 
white, 1*75 x 1*40. Date, New London Conn., May 18; Cambridge, June 5; 
Meridian, N. Y., May 12; Baxter, Iowa, May 8. 
* This Hawk is essentially a bird of the unwooded country, and we 
might as well look for a Ruffed Grouse in the open marsh as for a Harrier 
in the thick woods. It flies low, and may be easily identified by the 
large white patch on its rump. Quartering the country with slow, vacil- 
lating flight, it usually captures its living prey by surprising it away 
from its retreats. 
The Harrier is a low-perching Hawk, and most frequently will 
be seen alighting on a slight elevation or in the grass. During the 
nesting season the male may be seen performing a number of extraor- 
dinary aerial evolutions. Sometimes he soars to a great height, then 
falls straight downward nearly to the ground, turning several somer- 
saults during the descent, and uttering at the same time a reiterated 
screeching. At other times he flies across the marsh in a course which 
would outline a gigantic saw, each of the descending parts being done 
in a somersault and accompanied by the screeching notes, which form 
the only love song within the range of his limited vocal powers. 
Ernest T. Seton. 
