. A history of British birds. Birds. 130 BRITISH BIRDS. nest and is fed by the male. The number of eggs is usually five; but four and six are often found. The Hen-Harrier is a bolder bird in the pursuit of its food than the other two British Harriers^ and undoubtedly often chases its prey on the wing. It catches small birds^ mice^ frogs^ but does not disdain to make a meal off the eggs of its neighbours when it has the opportunity. The graceful- ness of its flight and the ease with which it can skim over the brow of a hill make it a favourite with the ornithologist^ in spite of an occasional y
. A history of British birds. Birds. 130 BRITISH BIRDS. nest and is fed by the male. The number of eggs is usually five; but four and six are often found. The Hen-Harrier is a bolder bird in the pursuit of its food than the other two British Harriers^ and undoubtedly often chases its prey on the wing. It catches small birds^ mice^ frogs^ but does not disdain to make a meal off the eggs of its neighbours when it has the opportunity. The graceful- ness of its flight and the ease with which it can skim over the brow of a hill make it a favourite with the ornithologist^ in spite of an occasional young grouse that may fall a victim to its prowess. The eggs of the Hen-Harrier are bluish white, like those of the other two British Harriers, and are on an average intermediate in size between those of the Marsh and Montagu's Harriers. They vary in length from 1'8 to 1'65 inch and in breadth from 1-5 to l'4< inch. It is unfortunately impossible to distinguish them from excejstionally small eggs of the Marsh- Harrier, or from very large eggs of Montagu's Harrier. The adult male Hea-Harrier is a very beautiful bird, of a delicate pale slate-grey colour, with black primaries and with the upper tail-coverts and the whole of the underparts below the centre of the breast pure white. Cere, irides, and legs yellow; bill bluish black, claws black. The female, which is a slightly larger bird, has the general colour brown, paler below, and streaked with reddish brown ; the upper tail-coverts are white, faintly marked with rufous ; tail dark brown, broadly barred with huffish brown, and tipped with pale HEN-HARRIER S Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Seebohm, Henry, 1832-1895. London, Pub. for the author by R. H. Porter [etc. ]
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1883
