. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. rr 242 BLUK HAWK, OR II E N-II A K RI E R. ill . tii. t\w other. Tlio /'. cineraccug has two white spots near the eyes, which are not in the F. ci/ntieus. The young of the former is beneath rusty without spots. Thus slight, but constant diflerenccs, are seen to repre- sent a s[)eeies, while the most striking (lis(!re|>ancies in color, size, and (not in this, but in otiier instances) even of form, prove mere variations of sex or age I We cannot wonder at the two real species liaving
. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. rr 242 BLUK HAWK, OR II E N-II A K RI E R. ill . tii. t\w other. Tlio /'. cineraccug has two white spots near the eyes, which are not in the F. ci/ntieus. The young of the former is beneath rusty without spots. Thus slight, but constant diflerenccs, are seen to repre- sent a s[)eeies, while the most striking (lis(!re|>ancies in color, size, and (not in this, but in otiier instances) even of form, prove mere variations of sex or age I We cannot wonder at the two real species liaving alwaya been confounded amidst tlie cliaotiu indications of the j)resent. Even Wilson was not free from the error wliicli had prevailed for so long a period in scientific Europe, tliat the Ring-tail and llen-llarrier were two species. Though lie <li<l not publish a figure of the present in the adult plumage of the male, he was well acquainted with it as an iidmbitant of the Southern States: for there can be no doubt that it ia the much-desired lilue Hawk which he was so anxious to procure; the only land bird he intended to add to his Ornithology, or at least the only one he left registeresun, itay. aiid others of the older authors, were perfectly in accordance with nature on this point. It was perhaps with Linnd, or at least with IJuffon, (imelin, Pennant, and Fialham himself, who afterwards corrected it, that the error originated. Latham, confident of his own (tbservalions and those of Pennant, who hail found imili'ti of the species said to be the female of the Falcn n/aneus (Hen-IIarrier), and not reflecting that these males might be the young, exclaims, " authors have lu ver blundered more than in making this bird (the King-tail) the same species with the last mentioned (llen-Harrier);" an opinion that he wiis afterwards obliged to recant. In physical science we cannot be too cautious in rejecting facts, nor too careful in distinguishing in an author's statem
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectois
