Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/489

 HAKPY HARRIER 475 II and virginals, on which it was an improvement. It remained the highest form of the keyed in- strument until the introduction of the piano- forte into general use in the latter part of the 18th century. HARPY, in mythology. See HARPIES. HARPY, a bird of prey, of the subfamily aqui- Unce or eagles ; the harpyia destructor (Cuv.) or thrasaetus harpyia (Linn.), and the crested, crowned, royal, tyrant, and destructive South American eagle of authors. The bill is strong, much curved at the acute tip ; the wings mod- erate, reaching beyond the base of the tail, the fourth, fifth, and sixth quills the longest ; tail long, broad, and slightly rounded ; tarsi short and very thick ; toes robust, armed with pow- erful claws. The length is from 2 to 3 ft., and the spread of the wings 5 to 6 ft. The bill is black, the head crested ; the general color is dark brown above and white below, the feath- ers of the breast very long and loose ; the tail barred with brown and black, and the vent and thighs with black and white. Several varie- ties of plumage occur, which have been made characters of different species, but Gray de- scribes only one in the genus. The harpy eagle lives in the dark forests of intertropical Amer- ica, especially near the borders of great rivers ; it preys on sloths, monkeys, large birds, and on young deer and other quadrupeds of that size. Harpy (Thrasaetus harpyia). Its strength and courage are such that it will attack very large animals, and even man him- self, if the Indians are to be believed. HARRIER, a variety of the hound (canis sa- gax, Linn.), used in hare hunting. The ancient harrier (cJiien courant of the French) had a moderately long, broad muzzle ; thick and rounded head ; large, long, and pendent ears ; robust body, stout limbs, erect tail, and short hair, varied with black, brown, and yellowish spots. The modern improved harrier is a min- iature fox hound, with shorter ears, an acute sense of smell, great speed, and a height of about 18 in. The old harrier was larger, slower, and more inclined to dwell on the scent; the modern breed does not generally allow the hare to double on its tracks, but forces it into a straight course, running it down in about 20 minutes. The pack of Sir John Dashwood King, considered the model of this Harrier. dog, originated from a small fox hound of pure breed, which was so celebrated that he was sold for the enormous sum of 700. The old harrier came near the beagle in appearance and manner of hunting. There are several breeds, of more interest to the sportsman than to the zoologist. HARRIER, a hawk of the subfamily cercince of Gray and milmnce of later ornithologists, and of the genus circus (Lacepede). The genus is characterized by a rather large head and a face partially encircled by a ring of short prom- inent feathers as in the owls; bill short, com- pressed, curved from the base, with the lateral margins festooned ; nostrils large ; wings long and pointed, with the third and fourth quills nearly equal and longest ; tail long, wide, and rounded on the sides ; tarsi long and slender, toes moderate, and claws rather slender and weak. About 15 species are described in vari- ous parts of the world, generally found in open uncultivated countries, in marshes, and along barren sea coasts. The flight is not very swift, but easy and graceful, and generally performed in a sailing manner within a few feet of the ground. The American harrier, marsh or hen hawk (C. Hudsonius, Linn.), has in the male a length of about 18 and an extent of wings of 44 in., and in the female a length of 21 and a spread of about 47 in. The form is rather long and slender ; the general color above is pale bluish cinereous, which prevails also on the breast ; the upper tail coverts white ; dark fulvous tinges on the back of the head ; under parts white, with more or less heart-shaped spots and longitudinal marks of reddish ful- vous ; quills brownish black, tinged with ashy on the outer webs, and the inner mostly white ; tail cinereous, nearly white on the inner webs, and obscurely banded with brown, its under