T he F. ’cineraceus has
»-• T h e '^ S '^ tiit^ rfhW ^ y ^ -A .S iie a th tiP ttS ^
without' sp o ts ., Thus slight, but eo®istaiit^diiKreh®es,^Be*'f^em
to-represent a species, while the fmost. Istriking sdisGrepaPoies'-in
cploUBji si^e,- « u d ^ n o t in-this, but -par otheuiaistapces) «veu 'Q.MQrm,
prope .«gft^^ aF la tA om ^ n fe ^ ^ :jw ^ ^ 4 ;^ J ^ :-:panua.^^gftnd!erv^afa:the
two r e al species| haying always4Beeuv confonnded-amidst the
ehaotic*’ iudicat ronsrof the pBeaenfrb |
Even Wilson was not free from the? erroT which had- prevailed
fprr S^ long. ?n peiind in Aat- the Ring-tail v id
Hen-Bariaer .were two* species. Thoughheidid not publish, a figure
oft$he??preseat in>$bev. adub^lnmage ofi the/male, he-wa&.welf
. acquainted with vi t a sa n - inhabitant of - the’i'Southeirn
there can be nn doubt thafti^ts Ple muchfdesfeed;-&te Hawk ^M ob
he • was.-.so: .aniiousrftq procuroftithe«only "land-bird: he mteiided to
add to his Ornithology', or at least.the:only one he left registered in
h\ s:.pot!tl>ii.m<»i S 4 w»w, it: was .chiefly because he was hotraware of. this
feet, .and thought that no Blue .Hawk- existed-in .America- ©ofefes*.
pondingf io the .European Hen-Ha,mer, that Mr.’ Sabine,4in<.tho
Appendix' to Franklin’s Expedition above quoted, ^persisted <im
declaring that the, Marsh-Hawk was a distinct apeOie» peeuliaryto
Americas of-,which he ,supposed>the Hudson’s Bay Ring-tail to be
onng. he detected, on. comparing it
With the European Ringitail, must have been pwing tq-the different
state; of' plumage.of his specimen of this ultra-changeable.-speeies.
If» however, he had not mentioned the colours-merely, as bringing
it -nearer .to the Asfecoloured Falcon of Montague,-.;we. might>.be
inclinedto beMeverthat the spefimen-ihe;examined. was indeed.a
young bird of that- speeded which# though .as yet unohsiervedumay
after.»alfepossibly be found in North America.«-A#: all events}
Wilson's# anjl the nuttleKoussAmericanupeeimens that have.passed
.under Ouf examination#,were all-yeung Hen-Harriens.? *
1 Hen-
Ha rrie r andidtin'g-tail* a^s 'diffdren'W^^i^J'lSalh JaMvUile'd for y feiff
in E®^0pe^4t^^lli^®a®e«fitiAe®t'fon; th a t A#®dva-¥Mii-;' Bris#o^
Ray, andsothers of the^GfM'b'fef authors*/were'1 perfej|j|jy hit ad^@'f'dati<£#
wth< natu re Oif -tWs^cdn-lpl‘]itt-'^#'p^BMa|i&fwitn^nii^^feMt^fst
with*. Buffon^Gtedin^ B'fehnSnt; and toteiM®#« himself,--*^!?© after1-
Oft his own '«jfeservajta'o'ns. ands,tlMs#t,®f B^hriarit^llhb^fead^found
makes ^@$nfee.4s|feeu2s said“ cyaneus,
j^HensHarriert) a n d ' not reflect>1iig^tliStU®eSe fotfkles th%
rfeaki*g#(tMl- bird (the Ring-tail)’th d ^ s '^ l'd il^ d i^ ^w itli th e ilh ^
mentioned^ (’Hren-H’arrier) P§ an” opinion That- fwaS
#bli||edv'ta'?f e ^ f f c • In physfea4;,'S#e#c#'%%t cannOt- b e
in fojfecting facts1,’"nor'4^0‘cfarUfulHiirJ®MinvguS^hffi^,in ahfeuthot^l
stetemenfe'what has*«pUs sed -under'thul^owS
dinary it,may- s&efe^from' the infererifehe draws^ritn-# i lI TfeSif
t@sap]fiyf the principle in thiS^x^tance/Tathabn^r^^hflldfavd^dOh-
ciledthe-facto£,,fiialfeS'fend''femafes^beiftgf®unrd^n0®e^lu®Sf%6Vdf
fthetRfag#ail,.'with the others,*sth a t ®i^fem^lfetiJ^#Sr^nf»i^fOH'n#
under the: d re ss to f the Hen-HarMe# and: th a t
wOuMgrUduallyAange^ntWiHMhTIarrierSi 1 -
* 8 Whether
with the Ring-tail of* EurOpevWifebni^odld'h^^take^pife Bitfae'llf
to | pronounce; as-‘-he has- left. fct-MsthivR&th'e^ distinctive' name’ df
Ealca uligin&stis; though 'h e positiVel^SSfiatf^' th a t ih 'his' opinion
they are hut? one^pfecies, an d eved®€|ieets is fa ls e , -and tEot'exfeting,
theoftlyi character on which hhe?specific distinction was bSSedythat
nf^feei'Ameriean having'; “ ’st^Ongpthi’ck, and ^fi^lf -tegS^^instead
of having thteUKdongOand slender. Eof want ©f'opji<unity
ssoft a ctually comparing sp’eeim’etfs from bothr eodtinents,'
he « could choose ino” oth^t noufrsfe than thef^one- he has | followed;