This bird is essentially a frequenter of the open
country, be it heath and furze-clad common, fen, or
corn-land: the nest is usually, if not invariably, placed
on the ground, on a bare spot amongst furze, heather,
or sedge; in certain localities a field of growing wheat,
barley, oats, or rye is often selected as a secure nesting-
place, the essentials being concealment and security
from disturbance. The few nests of-the Hen-Harrier
that I have seen were composed entirely of dry sedge
or coarse grass, very loosely put together. The
three or four in number, are of a very pale blue-green,
often freckled with specks of light rust-colour; the
young birds can generally fly about the end of June.
During the sitting-time the female Harrier is fed by
the male, who drops the prey to her as he hovers above
her; this is done so instantaneously that to any one
watching from a distance the action is hardly perceptible.
Besides the localities to which I have referred
the Hen-Harrier habitually nests in undrained fen-
lands amidst reeds and sedge; but, as a rule, I consider
this species, from my own acquaintance with it, as less
of a marsh bird than either of the other two British
Harriers. In quest of food the Hen-Harrier is most
systematic,, regularly frequenting the same spots day
after day about the same hour, and quartering the
“ beat ” in every direction in an apparently desultory
but virtually most thorough-going fashion. The flight
of this species is very light and buoyant, and as noiseless
as that of the larger Owls. A friend, who is a
most excellent observer and specially acquainted with
raptorial birds, informs me that when a Hen-Harrier
puts a covey of Partridges into a fence for concealment
it takes its “ stand ” hard by on some perch whence it
can command the situation, and remains perfectly
motionless till some movement on the part of one of
the covey betrays its whereabouts, when the Harrier is
down on it in a second, and the career of the game
bird is at an end. All the Harriers are especially fond
of frogs and lizards, and some of them often capture
and devour small snakes.
In captivity I have found this species wild, sulky,
and by no means easy to keep in good health. In
Devonshire this bird, and probably Montagu’s Harrier
also, are, or were, commonly known as “ Vuzkits,”
i. e. Furze-Kites; in Ireland they have been pointed out
to me as “ Gos-Hawks,” no doubt properly Gorse-
H awks; and in Scotland I have heard the male
called “ Blue Glead,” and the female distinguished as
Ringtail.