2.2 P A L C O N.
RINGTAIL Henharrier, Gen. Sjn. i. p. 82. N°74.— Will. Or«, p. 72. pi. 7.
Falco torquatus, Brim. N° 14.— Kram. Ml. p. 330. N° 13.
-Ringtail, Gen. Syn. i. p. 89. N” 7j.— Ara. Zael. ii. N° 106.
Falco cyaneus, Muller, N° 74.— Faun. Arag. p. 68.—Kraut.El. p.329,
N° 12. I
p jO W E V E .R certain I have prefumed to be in the Synopfis,
that the Henharrier and Ringtail were different fpecies, I have
lately had occafion to fu ff end that opinion, for the reafons below
mentioned, o f which the candid reader is left to judge for Him-
felf, whether there may be foundation or not for retraining it.
A t the time o f our fuppofing that the two birds above mentioned
were of different fpecies, we departed from the opinion of
that faithful and obfervant naturalifl, M. Briffon, who joins the
two without hefitation, as well as the authority o f Ray and W il-
hghby, with fame others o f lefier note, who likewife efteemed
them as one and the fame ; but we were induced fo to do from
the teftimony of Mr. Pennant having found a Ringtail of the male,
f e x ,feconded by a fimilar circumftance falling under our own ob-
fervation, which naturally led us to fufpedt the poffibility o f tire
above-mentioned writers having been miftaken.
As the firft ftep towards a further enquiry, let us compare the
two birds together; when we fhall find, that,
1. T h e irides in both are yellow.
2. The wreath of fhort ftiff feathers, furrounding the head, appears
equally the fame in the Henharrier as in the Ringtail.
3. The form of the bill, length o f the wings, fize and colour of
the legs, are the fame in both.
4.' All the Henharriers are nearly of the fame fize, viz; about
twelve ounces in. weight, and feven inches in length. A ll the
Ringtails likewife correfpond in fize, viz. about eighteen ounces
in weight, and twenty inches in length. Some fort o f proof
of the difference in fex, the male in the Falcon genus being ever
the fmalleft. Added tp- which, Dr. Heyjham obferves, that as
thefe birds are in plenty about him, he has opened many, and that
the Henharriers have ever proved to be males, and the Ringtails
turned out to be females. This very obfervation Kramer has
likewife made, having dilfefted feveral o f each; from which h'e
hefitates whether the two birds in queftion be not the fame,
againft the common opinion of the fportfmen of Juftria, who
think them to be different*. Dr. H. adds, that the Duke o f
Buccleugh’s game-keeper has deftroyed fome hundreds, and has-
frequently fhot both male and female.from the fame neft. Lord
Garlijle’s game-keeper likewife avers the fame.
In one o f this laft gentleman’s letters to me, in anfwer to what
might be urged in behalf o f the two birds being different in fpecies,
he hints the great difficulty that there fometimes is in afeer-
taining the fex, except in pairing time, when the difference is vi-
fible even to a fuperficial obferver; He likewife takes notice of
their varying in colour at different ages, a matter not unfrequent
in feveral o f the Falcon genus. What then if this fhould be the
fingle point, which has. occafioned the.difference o f opinion in
* His words are, “ Venatores unanimi confenfu diliindtas fpecies flatuunr,
e* cum nullaillis accipitrini generis prseter tirinunculum fpeciesinnotefcat,cujus
feemina a mare colore diftinguitur.- Ego plures duodecimo f & decimse ter-'
“ tiae J fpeciei exaniinavi, fed 12 conftauter marem, 13 feeminam reperivi.’9 ■
Elena p. 3 3!.
4 Henharrier. t" 'Ringtail.