Part 23

Small, head and body broad and strong, bill short, wing pointed with the second and third quills longest, tail slightly rounded, tarsi and toes slender. Adult male. Entire plumage of the upper parts dusky slate color, inclining to bluish, every feather with a black longitudinal line. Forehead and throat white, other under parts pale yellowish or reddish white, every feather with a narrow longitudinal stripe of brownish black, plumage of the tibia, light rusty red, with narrow stripes of black. Quills black, with transverse bands of white on their inner webs, and narrowly tipped with ashy white, tail above light bluish cinereous tipped with white, and with a wide subterminal band of black, and with several other narrower bands of black, inner webs nearly white. Cere and feet yellow, bill blue.

Middle age or winter plumage? Entire upper plumage, brownish black, slightly mixed with rufous on the head and neck behind, white of the face, and under parts more deeply tinged with reddish yellow, dark stripes wider, plumage of the sides, with wide transverse bands of brownish black, predominating on some feathers, and the yellowish white, assuming the form of circular spots. Tail dark brown, nearly black tipped, and with four bars of white, upper tail coverts with spots of white at their bases. Feet yellow.

Younger and adult female? Entire upper plumage, dusky brown, quite light, and with a tinge of ashy in some specimens. Head above with narrow stripes of dark brown and rusty red, and in some specimens, many irregular spots and edgings of the latter color, on the other upper parts. Forehead and entire under parts white, with longitudinal stripes of light brown. Plumage of the sides and flanks light brown, with pairs of circular spots of white, tibia white, with dashes of brown, tail above and below pale brown, with about six bands of white. Neck behind with a distinct band of white.

Dimensions. Total length (of skin,) females, 12 to 14 inches, wing, 8 to 9, tail, 5½ inches. Male. Total length, 10 to 11 inches, wing, 7½ to 8, tail, 5 inches.

Hab. North and South America. Wisconsin, (Dr. Hoy.) California, (Mr. J. G. Bell.) Oregon, (Col. M’Call, Dr. Townsend.) Cuba, (M. de Sagra.) Jamaica, (Mr. Gosse.) New Granada, (M. Parzudaki.) Bermuda, (Sir. W. Jardine.) Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. The adult of this species is with difficulty distinguishable from the European H. æsalon, but we have never seen the latter in the nearly black plumage, which we regard as characterizing the young or winter plumage, of the American bird. The light, “liver brown” plumage, represented by European authors as the female of F. æsalon, frequently occurs in this bird, and is given by Rich. and Swains. in Fauna Boreali Americana, Birds, pl. 25. The adult which appears to be Falco temerarius, Aud., is figured in B. of Am. pl. 75, the other figures by Aud. pl. 92, and Wilson’s plate, represent this bird in the dark plumage as described above.

Adult specimens from Western America, even more closely resemble the European species, but differ from the Eastern American only in small and scarcely describable particulars, as the slightly greater extent of the white front, or the greater purity of the white of the throat and breast. We regard the stage of plumage above described as that of the female, (and as figured by Rich. and Swains.) principally on account of its analogy to the female of the nearly allied European species.

This bird is of frequent occurrence in the United States. The largest specimens that we have ever seen are from Oregon, and may prove to be of a distinct species, though we cannot at present, determine.

IV. GENUS TINNUNCULUS. Vieill. Ois. d’Am. Sept. I. p. 39. (1807.)

CERCHNEIS. Boie Isis, p. 976. (1826.)—POECILORNIS. Kaup Class. der Savg. und Vog, p. 108. (1844.)

Size small, tarsus and toes lengthened, slender. Colors generally more or less rufous and white. In all other respects similar to typical Falco. This genus comprises about twelve very handsome species of small size, inhabiting various countries.

1. Tinnunculus sparverius. (Linn.) The Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. p. 128. (1766.) Falco dominicensis. Gm. Syst. Nat. I. p. 285. (1788.) Falco gracilis, cinnamominus and isabellinus. Sw. Cab. Cy. p. 281. (1838.)

Vieill. Ois. d’Am. Sept. pl. 12, 13. Cat. Car. pl. 5. Buff. Pl. Enl. 465. Wilson Am. Orn. II. pl. 16, fig. 1, and IV. pl. 32, fig. 2. Faun. Bor. Am. Birds, pl. 24. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 42. Oct. ed. I. pl. 22. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 7, fig. 16.

Small, wings moderate, tail rounded. Adult Male. Frontal band, space including the eyes and throat, white; spot on the neck behind, two others on each side of the neck, and line running downwards from before the eye, black. Head above, and wing coverts, bluish cinereous, the latter usually spotted with black. Spot on the top of the head, the neck behind, back, rump, and generally the tail above, light rufous or cinnamon red. Under parts generally a pale shade of the same color, frequently nearly white, but sometimes nearly as dark as the back, and always with more or less numerous circular, or oblong spots of black. Quills brownish black, with white bars on their inner webs. Tail tipped with white, sometimes tinged with rufous, and with a broad subterminal band of black, frequently with several of the outer feathers, white tinged with ashy, and barred with black. Bill blue, legs and feet yellow. Back generally with more or less numerous transverse stripes of black. Rufous spot on head, much varying in size, and sometimes wanting.

Female. Upper parts as above, and wing coverts, and tail rust red, with numerous transverse bands of brownish black, under parts with numerous longitudinal stripes, and on the sides and flanks, with transverse bands of the same color, external feathers of the tail palest, broad subterminal band on the tail, obscure or wanting. Young Male. Wing-coverts, dark bluish cinereous with large circular spots, and with bands of brownish black, all the rufous parts with broad bands of the same color, under parts with large circular spots, and wide traverse bands of black on the sides and flanks.

Dimensions. Total length, 11 to 12 inches, wing 7 to 7½, tail 5 to 5½ inches. Sexes nearly alike in size.

Hab. The entire continent of America. California, (Mr. Bell.) Mexico, (Mr. Pease.) Cuba, (M. de Sagra.) Bermuda, (Sir W. Jardine.) Chili, (Lieut. Gilliss.) Patagonia, (Ex. Exp. Vincennes.) Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. This elegant little Hawk, is one of the most handsomely colored of the Rapacious Birds of North America, and is frequently met with.

It is widely diffused, being common to all parts of the United States, and we have seen numerous specimens brought in collections from various parts of South America. The young bird has never been figured. Specimens from all parts of America are very similar, and we have seen the stages of plumage, which have been considered as indicating distinct species by eminent authors, but they do not appear to be constant, nor peculiar to any locality.

II. SUB-FAMILY ACCIPITRINÆ. THE HAWKS.

Bill short, hooked, upper mandible lobed, but not toothed. Wings rather short, tail long, and rather wide, tarsi rather long and slender, toes and claws long, the latter curved and sharp. Embraces forty to fifty species, amongst which are birds of all countries. They are very vigilant and active and swift of flight, and have as a peculiar character amongst the Falconidæ, the habit of pursuing their prey into woods and forests.

I. GENUS ASTUR. Lacepede Mem. Inst. III. p. 506.

SPARVIUS. Vieill, Anal. p. 24, (1816.) Leucospiea. Kaup, Class, p. 118, (1844.)

General form, strong, but somewhat slender; bill short, curved, festooned; nostrils large, somewhat ovate, inserted in the cere. Wings moderate; tail, long and broad. Tarsi rather lengthened; covered in front with rather wide transverse scales; toes and claws, rather long, the latter sharp. This genus contains about twelve species of all countries.

1. Astur atricapillus. (Wilson.) The Goshawk. The Black-capped Hawk. Falco atricapillus. Wilson Am. Orn. VI. p. 80. (1812.) Falco regalis. Temm. P. col. I. (liv. 84 about 1827.) Dædalion pictum. Less. Traité d’Orn. I. p. 67. (1831.)

Wilson Am. Orn. VI. pl. 52, fig. 3. Faun. Bor. Am. Birds, pl. 26. Jard. and Selby, Ill. Orn. pl. 121. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 141, Oct. ed. I. pl. 23. Temm. Pl. col. 495.

Large, general form, rather slender; wings, short. Adult. Head above, neck behind and stripe from behind the eye, black, generally more or less mixed with ashy; other upper parts bluish cinereous, with the shafts of the feathers black; a conspicuous stripe over the eye, and an obscure collar on the back of the neck white. Entire under parts white, every feather with a longitudinal line of brownish black, and several transverse narrow and usually irregular bands of ashy brown. Quills, brown, with bands of a deeper shade of the same color, and with mottled white bands on their inner webs. Tail, dark brownish cinereous, with irregular bands of brownish black, and narrowly tipped with white; under surface very pale, nearly white; under tail-coverts pure white. Young. Head above and other upper parts, dark brown mixed with rufous, especially on the head and neck. Under parts, white, tinged with fulvous, with large oblong and circular spots of deep brown.

Dimensions. Total length, female, 22 to 24 inches, wing about 14, tail 10½ to 11 inches; male, 19 to 20 inches, wing 13, tail 9½ to 10 inches.