. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . Circus cruginosusy. The former bird is about seventeen inches- high; it inhabits allthe countries of Europe, and feeds on serpents, rodents, and it succeeds in making its way into pigeons-houses or poultry-yards it commits great havoc. The latter feeds principally on game, to which it is extremelydestructive. Game preservers consequently are their bitterest flight is not swift except when pouncing on their prey, which iSdone with great
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . Circus cruginosusy. The former bird is about seventeen inches- high; it inhabits allthe countries of Europe, and feeds on serpents, rodents, and it succeeds in making its way into pigeons-houses or poultry-yards it commits great havoc. The latter feeds principally on game, to which it is extremelydestructive. Game preservers consequently are their bitterest flight is not swift except when pouncing on their prey, which iSdone with great certainty and velocity. The other species we will mention are the Frog-eating Harrier HARRIERS. 595 {Cirms ranivorns), which is a native of South Africa, v/here it feedsprincipally on frogs and fish ; the Pale-chested Harrier and JardinesHarrier {C. Swaifzsonii and C. Jardinii); and the Ash-colouredHarrier (C cinerescens)^ which is met with in the extreme The latter has great powers of flight, and is always inmotion, never halting except to seize its prey; it is very wild, andcan only be approached when Fig. 279.—Hen Harrier. The Caracaras are a race of birds which form a link betweenthe Falcon and the Vulture families. They have, like the latter, theprojecting crop, goggle eyes, head partly bare of feathers, toes long,especially the middle one, and the claws but slightly crooked. Theyshow a decided taste for putrid carrion. However, they do not feedexclusively on it, for when opportunity offers they capture mammals,young birds, reptiles, molluscs, grasshoppers, and even worms. Thesebirds are essentially pedestrians; the slight curvature of their clawsrenders this easy, and it is not an unfrequent thing to see them walkat a slow pace for considerable distances. ~z^: Their name is derived from the cry which they utter. They are M M 2 596 REPTILES AND BIRDS, peculiar to South America, in which they are found in every lati-tude and at all altitudes. Th
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