CIRCUS AERUGINOSUS.,
Marsh-Harrier.

Falco eruginosus, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 23.

rufus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 266.

Circus eruginosus, Savig. Descr. de l’Egypte, Hist. Nat., tom. i. p. 90.
rufus, Savig. ibid., p. 91.

Falco arundinaceus, Bechst.

Kramert, Kram.

Accipiter circus, Pall. Zoog. Ross.-Asiat., tom. i. p. 362.

Circus variegatus, Sykes, Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr., 1832, p. 81.

rufus, var. indicus, Less. Compl. Buff., tom. vii. aloe

——— Sykesi, Less. ibid., p. 161.

Buteo eruginosus, Flem. Hist. of Brit. Anim., p. 55.

Accwiter erugmosus, Koch, Syst. der Baier. Zool., De lelo:

Pygargus rufus, Kaup, Class. der Saugeth. und Vég., p. 113.

Buteo rufus, Jenyns, Man. Brit. Vert. Anim., p. 88.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuat the physical condition of 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, moorlands, and flat sedgy
districts ; but the bird here represented, which is one of the largest members of 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 of 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, or the pouncing Hawks! The Rev. R. Lubbock, in his
‘Observations on the Fauna of 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 of any extent had its pair of these birds ; they consumed the day in beating round and round the reeds
which skirted the water ; this was done for hours incessantly. All the birds wounded by the sportsman 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 of the gamekeeper; the curse of his
race is upon him. I once kept one of these birds in confinement. It was full-grown when taken ; its
courage and ferocity were very great, perpetually endeavouring to attack those mite went close to its mew
It killed a large land-rat, put into its cage uninjured, in an instant. Sin: T. Buoys represents it as
occasionally carrying off the young of the otter to feed its nestlings with. I have found the nest amongst a
bunch of reeds on Barton fen with two young. Mr. Gould first, I believe, noticed the grey tinge which old
somewhat similar to the colouring of 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 he ;
and formerly on the larger broads one or two were sure to be observed in the course of a pe cf -
time I thought the reflexion of the sun caused the bird to look greyish, but am ee ag ae
it was in the stage of plumage mentioned by Mr. Gould. In decoys this isa most cont esome bird, keeping
the fowl in such continual restlessness that the decoy man can do nothing with them.

If we consult the various writers on British Birds (Yarrell, MacGillivray, Thompson, and Morris), or the
local faunas that have been written of most of our counties, we shall find that the Marsh-Harrier has a place

{r ; “. i5 pare throughout the whole county; a few
in the whole of them. In Cornwall, Mr. Rodd tells us, it _ é He § i eee
1 ‘ 5. -harton Moor, and Lamorna ; species < ars
specimens have been procured at the Land’s-end, Boswhar ; eee ae
Thompson states that itis found and 1s resident in all suitable localities

males of this species assume,

to become more rare every year.”
Ireland, and, as might be expected from the nature of the country,
7 one : »t if is very rare in
in Scotland, where MacGillivray informs us that 1t 1s very Tr

is of more frequent occurrence there than

the northern and middle divisions, but

 

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