BLUE HAWK, OR HEN-HARRIER. 
41 
bluish black; cere, irides, and feet yellow; claws black. The 
plumage above is bluish ashy, much darker on the scapulars, and 
with the feather-shafts blackish: beneath white, slightly cream- 
coloured on the breast; the belly, flanks, and lower tail-coverts, 
with small arrow-shaped spots of yellowish rusty; the long axillary 
feathers are crossed with several such spots, taking the appearance 
of bands: the upper tail-coverts are pure white; the primaries 
dusky blackish at the point, edged with paler, and somewhat hoary 
on the outer vane; at base, white internally and beneath. The 
tail is altogether of a paler ash than the body, tipped with whitish, 
and with a broad blackish subterminal band; all the tail-feathers 
are pure white at their origin under the coverts, the lateral being 
sub-banded with blackish and white on their inner vanes, and the 
outer on the greater part of the outer web also; the shafts are 
varied with black and white. 
The Hen-Harrier’s favourite haunts are rich and extensive 
plains, and low grounds. Though preferring open and champaign 
countries, and seeming to have an antipathy to forests, which it 
always shuns, it does not, like the Ash-coloured Harrier, confine 
itself to marshes, but is also seen in dry countries, if level. We 
are informed by Wilson, that it is much esteemed by the southern 
planters, for the services it renders in preventing the depredations 
of the Rice-birds upon their crops. Cautious and vigilant, it is 
not only by the facial disk that this bird approaches the Owls, 
but also by a habit of chasing in the morning and evening, 
at twilight, and occasionally at night when the moon shines. 
Falconers reckon it among the ignoble Hawks. Cruel, though 
cowardly, it searches every where for victims, but selects them 
only among weak and helpless objects. It preys on moles, mice, 
young birds, and is very destructive to game; and does not spare 
fishes, snakes, insects, or even worms. Its flight is always low, 
VOL. II.—L 
