the - adult female, (which is not the case. in the Ash-coloured
Harrier) being however, more varied with ipisty^and easily distinguished
by its“ smaller size. Itns^in this state that'Wilson has
taken the species, his .irery;afec<Braité description being that 'of a
"young ferpale. The m e retains this plumagejiihtil hpis. two
years old, after.'which Tfe gradually assumes the .gray plumage
peculiar to the adult: of^coalfse jthey expibiU almost as many
gradations as vspepimené-v according to their, more, or*le s s advanced
age. t-The'ash a id white appear varied n r mingled with rusty;
the wings, and.especially theftaii, exhibiting more or less-indications
of the b„and§ of the young plumage. The male, when he
may be oalîèd already adult, varies by still exhibiting the remains
of bands on the tail, more or- Riss marked .or obliterated by - the
♦yellowish, edges *of ftp# feathers of the back and wings, and
especially. |>y retaining on the frimi head* a space tinged *Witb
rusty, with blackish spots. This, space is^iiore or less^ indicated?
ifi the greater party both of the American andEiiEppean specimens
1 have exan^ined. Finally, they hre known» by retaining ttayesLof
tpe yellowish of the inferior surface • in larger o r . smaller spots,
çhiefly on- the, belly, flanks, and undey tail-qgyerts.
Fbr 'the greater embellishment of the pla£e,-we have chose%to
represent one of these very nearly, but not qujte adult paales, in
preference to a perfectly mature bird, which, may easily hé .figured
to the mind .by destroying every trace of spofr or bar..,* Jfct&is
moreover, in thisdyeSs that the adult is met /with in the Middle
and Northern gtâtesywhé^r it is very care, and we, hav'e-neppr seen
a ^jgécitoen quite- mature,- though the young are tolerably comfnon;
as' if the* parents «sent their children on „.à toqr to finish their
. education,, thep- to return and ' marry, • and remain ennténtedly at
home, ,|'h e specimen here figured, was shot on Long Island, and
wàS presèrved in Scudderfs Musenmi New-T'ork. -
Its total length is eighteen inches, breadth forty ^ n e ; the'bill
blpish black; c ^ ^ ir id e s ^ ^ n d r f e ^ t ;y®[l0iW;>nHws black. The
pfumage‘aboyeds/blt^h* asjiyV.u^uph (fame'r on,.fbe scapular^ and
with the d^ath.erj'shafts 'blatflMs^i^eql^tlal whitjs, slightlyr^eam-
polonrqd bn fh& br.east ;^hi^fe^lJy^a-n£s, anl^lower tail-co’verts,
yfi^lti jsiw&Hl w e^ w i^ rusty,,;^he. long axillarp
feathers,; arVcSros^ed yvithE se^ff qKsuch spots, talung the appearance
q fih ands r^tKe u^per ;t^l-eby&r,1!sA are ^pure -^MlOjthe jpriin&fries,
g |^ b l ^ c k i s h .arfne" poii^f; edged with pffler^-and somewhat ho aw'
.outer Hane; J)jjMase,^wlute im e r|faB ^ - T$Le«
tail is-aWgethepof a pulerjash tbap4\e; bqfly, tipped wisth' whitisfij
ajid with a, broadj|llnckish, Jfet,erjminal b a t® alKtpe tail-lelraiers,
a r | p,ure? white | | l thffir origin u^der thAcosHerbMffife lateralA being
sub^banded with blaqklsh qpd-white ;on tnejr inner vpnCs,• and die'
JjJffif' pa- -thegreatef part«}! "th(i|feuterjfv-eb afeo; the Shafts ‘ are
Yaried'with black an<jTwhite; fb
^be^Hen--Harrie r’s^Tsc^nrite 'h p u n ty la f lf rich- p u d extenMye
plains,,-an(How gjjpi^rds. T h o u g h p referriH^ppen and, champaign
cp u n trlli, 'and ■s.eeiwng-to lave»-an a n - t o a tM ^ o A r ^ ^ / ^ h i ^ '|t
always sb^ps^sit dqesmj^;, like thfe t^^Kfebloured^HaTrier, ctjnfnie
i\sen to marshes, lmf*%$*#)so seen in d w - c o u n tn ^ , i? leyel ' We
age informed by Wimm> t-h^i? i t i lm b c h ^ s ttem e d by the^southern
plantqr^j-'for the service^ iLnen4^ s ,m wreyenting the d ep r^ a tio h p
,of the RiSe^bird^ upgpTheir cyopsi.. -fCautious1 and vigilan v jit is
n!ot ois^YJte the la e ^ l’ ais&vthat t |® m r c i approaches^itke ;»Qwis,
b u t also“ ^^nabit- 6^^na&Mg'tl r r the morning anq evening,
a t twilight, anjL, ^ c ^ o nm ly la t« nig |||j|wh en tlm inopn spines.
Falcoli'ers?'rec'tbn it aihojig tj^e ig n ^ f e Hawks.« Cruel, though
■ cowardly, #it t'pear’c h e s ^ ^ ry ^w le rfffg ^w ic ’tpms, b u t^ e le c ts them
only- a^on^wenfe« a ^ i' bexp] ess 'objects.' Itjjireys on moles, mice,
y o u n g birds, and4s'jvery-dj&stfuctive to game; and.does not*spare
hshe^xmajkes» .insects*, q j eyeb worms. Its flight is always low,