Marsh-Harrier.
Falco eeruginnsus, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 23.
— rufus, Gniel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 266.
Circus (cruginosus, Savig. Descr. de l’Egypte, Hist. Nat., tom. i. p. 90.
rufus, Savig. ibid., p. 91.
Falco arundinaceus, Bechst.
— Krameri, Kram.
Accipiter circus, Pall. Zoog. Ross.-Asiat., tom. i. p. 362.
Circus variegatus, Sykes, Proc. of Comm, of Sei. and Corr., 1832, p. 81.
rufus, var. indicus, Less. Compl. Buff., tom. vii. p. 155.
Sykesi, Less. ibid., p. 161.
Buteo (eruginosus, Flem. Hist, of Brit. Anim., p. 55.
Accipiter eeruginosus, Koch, Syst. der Baier. Zool., p. 119.
Pygargus rufus, Kaup, Class, der Säugeth. und Vög., p. 113.
Buteo rufus, Jenyns, Man. Brit. Vert. Anim., p. 88.
T ha t the physical condition o f 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, moorlauds, and flat sedgy
districts ; but the bird here represented, which is one o f the largest members o f 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 quadrupeds, fish,
and young marsh-birds; there it still flaps over the tops o f 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, o r the pouncing Hawks! The Rev. R. Lubbock, in his
| Observations on the Fauna o f 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 o f any extent had its pair o f these bird s; they consumed the day in beating round and round the reeds
which skirted the w a te r; 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 o f the gamekeeper; the curse o f his
race is upon him. I once kept one o f these birds in confinement. I t was full-grown when tak en ; its
courage and ferocity were very great, perpetually endeavouring to attack those who went close to its mew.
I t killed a large land-rat, put into its cage uninjured, in an instant. Sir T. Browne represents it as
occasionally carrying off the young o f the otter to feed its nestlings with. I have found the nest amongst a
bunch o f reeds on Barton fen with two young. Mr. Gould first, I believe, noticed the grey tinge which old
males o f this species assume, somewhat similar to the colouring o f 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 o r two were sure to be observed in the course of the day. At the
time I thought the reflexion o f the sun caused the bird to look greyish, but am inclined now to think that
it was in the stage of plumage mentioned by M r. 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.”
I f we consult the various writers on British Birds (Yarrell, MacGillivray, Thompson, and Morris), or the
local faunas th at have been written o f m ost 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 a t the Land’s-end, Boswharton Moor, and Lamorna; but the species appears
to become more rare every year.” Thompson states that it is found and is resident m all suitable loahties 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