Part 24

Hab. Northern and eastern North America. Spec. Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. Resembles to some extent the Goshawk of Europe, (Astur palumbarius,) with which it has been confounded by some American authors. It is about the same size, but may easily be distinguished by its lighter color, and by its much narrower and more numerous bands on the inferior parts of the body. It is in all respects a distinct species, as described by Wilson and by Temminck.

The young male of this bird may readily be mistaken for the young female of the succeeding species, (Accipiter Cooperi,) but can be distinguished by the different color and markings of the under parts of the body. In some specimens of this species, the transverse bands on the under parts are so irregular or broken, as to present a nearly uniformly mottled aspect. This stage of plumage is represented in Audubon’s plate, but is not the most common.

II. GENUS ACCIPITER. Brisson, Orn. I. 310. (1760.)

NISUS. Cuvier, Regne An. I. p. 321, (1817.) hieraspiza. Kaup Class. p. 116, (1844.)

General characters very similar to those of Astur, but the species are generally more slender and much smaller. Wings short, with the fourth quill usually slightly longest, shorter than in Astur; tail long; tarsi rather long and slender, and frequently with the scales of the tarsi nearly obsolete. Contains about twenty species of all countries, many of which bear more or less resemblance to the Accipiter nisus of Europe.

1. Accipiter fuscus. (Gmelin.) The Sharp-shinned Hawk. The Chicken Hawk. Falco fuscus, and dubius. Gm., Syst. Nat. I. p. 280, 281. (1788.) Accipiter striatus. Vieill, Ois. Am. Sept. I. p. 42, (1807.) Falco velox, and Pennsylvanicus. Wilson Am. Orn. V. p. 116, and VI. p. 13, (1812.) Sparvius lineatus. Vieill. Ency. Meth. III. p. 1266. (1823.) Nisus Malfini. Less. Traité I. p. 58. (1831.) Accipiter fringilloides. Vig. Zool. Jour. III. p. 434.? (1827.)

Temm. Pl. col. 67. Vieill, Ois. d’Am. Sept. pl. 14. Wilson, Am. Orn. V. pl. 45, fig. 1, VI. pl. 46, fig. 1. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 374, Oct. ed. I. pl. 25.

Small, tail rather long, with the end nearly even; tarsi and toes slender. Adult, entire upper parts dark brownish black tinged with ashy, occiput mixed with white. Throat, and under tail-coverts, white, the former with very fine lines of black on the shafts of the feathers; other under parts, fine light rufous, deepest on the tibia, and with transverse bands of white; shafts of the feathers with lines of dark brown. Tail, ashy brown, tipped with white, and with about four bands of brownish black. Quills, brownish black, with bands of a darker shade, and of white on their inner webs; secondaries and tertiaries, with large partially concealed white spots. Shafts of quills tinged with reddish. Young. Entire upper parts umber brown, tinged with ashy; neck behind mixed with white; greater wing-coverts and shorter quills, with large white spots partially concealed. Under parts white, with longitudinal stripes and circular spots of reddish brown, changing into transverse bands on the flanks and tibiæ; under tail-coverts, in many specimens, pure white.

Dimensions. Total length, female, 12 to 14 inches, wing 7½; to 8, tail 6½ to 7 inches; male, total length 10 to 11, wing 6 to 6½, tail 5 to 5½ inches.

Hab. Throughout North America. Hudson’s Bay, (Richardson,) Wisconsin, (Hoy,) Texas, (Audubon,) California, (Heermann,) New Mexico, (M‘Call,) Mexico, (Pease.) Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. This little Hawk is one of the most common of the North American species. It is very similar, when adult, to the Accipiter nisus of Europe, but the young differ, as is the case with nearly all our Hawks which resemble birds of the old world. We have never seen a specimen of A. fuscus with the transverse bands on the under parts regular and unbroken, as is commonly met with in the young female of A. nisus.

Though we regard the law of priority as of great importance, we have in the case of this species continued Gmelin’s specific name fuscus, (1788,) though it had been previously used by Fabricius, (1780; see Hierofalco sacer in this synopsis.) We know of no practical benefit, however, that would now result from the alteration of this long established name, especially as the fuscus of Fabricius is a synonyme itself. Any naturalist, however, being so moved, may call this bird Accipiter dubius, if he chooses, and shall not be molested by us.

2. Accipiter Cooperii. (Bonaparte) Cooper’s Hawk. Falco Cooperii. Bonap. Am. Orn. II. p. 1. (1828.) Falco Stanleii. Aud. Orn. Biog. I. p. 186. (1831.)

Bonap. Am. Orn. pl. 1, fig. 1, young. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 36, 141, fig. 3; Oct. ed. I. pl. 24, adult and young.

Larger than the preceding; slender; wings short; tail rounded. Adult, head above brownish black, mixed with white on the occiput; other upper parts dark ashy brown, with the shafts of the feathers brownish black; an obscure rufous collar on the neck behind. Throat and under tail-coverts white, the former with lines of dark brown; other under parts transversely barred with light rufous and white; tail, dark cinereous, with four wide bands of brownish black, and tipped with white; quills ashy brown, with darker bands, and white marks on their inner webs. Young. Head and neck behind yellowish white tinged with rufous, and with longitudinal oblong stripes of brown; other upper parts light umber brown, with large partially concealed spots and bars of white; upper tail-coverts tipped with white; under parts white, with narrow longitudinal stripes of light brown; tail as in adult.

Dimensions. Female, total length 18 to 20 inches, wing 10 to 11, tail 8½; male, 16 to 17, wing 9½ to 10, tail 8 inches.

Hab. The entire territory of the United States. Chili, (Gay.)

Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. Rather a difficult species to the ornithologist, on account of the great variations in its colors, and in size also. It is, in fact, unusual to find two alike in a dozen specimens. Very similar when adult to A. fuscus, but much larger. The adults of both sexes are the same in color. We have latterly suspected that the smaller specimens usually considered as young males of this bird, are really the young of the species next below, (A. Mexicanus.)

This bird is of frequent occurrence in the United States.

3. Accipiter Mexicanus. Swainson. The Mexican Black-capped Hawk. Accipiter Mexicanus. Swains. Faun. Bor. Am. Birds p. 45, (1831,) not figured.

Smaller than the preceding; tail long, rounded. Adult, head above black; other upper parts dark brownish black, with a tinge of cinereous, darkest on the back. Throat and under tail-coverts white; other under parts fine light rufous, deepest on the tibiæ, and barred and spotted with white nearly obsolete on the breast, sides and tibiæ, the longitudinal dark lines on the shafts of the feathers, (conspicuous in A. Cooperii,) barely discernible on the breast. Quills, dark brown, edged exteriorly with ashy, and with bands of darker brown and white on their inner webs; tail, dark cinereous, tipped with white, and with four bands of brownish black, that near the base of the tail obscure. Young, head and neck behind, and upper part of the back, dark rufous, striped with brownish black; other upper parts umber brown; under parts white, with longitudinal narrow stripes of brown; wings and tail as in adult; upper tail-coverts tipped with white. “Iris, carmine,” Dr. Gambel.

Dimensions. Total length, male, 15 inches, wing 9, tail 8 inches.

Hab. California (Dr. Gambel, Mr. Bell); Mexico (Mr. Pease); Eastern? Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. Similar for the greater part, to A. Cooperii, but smaller, and with the tail and tarsi comparatively longer, and with the fine red of the under parts more uniform, the white stripes being nearly obsolete. Several specimens of both adults and young were brought in the fine collection made in California by Mr. J. G. Bell, of New York, and it was previously brought from the same country by Dr. Gambel, and from Mexico by Mr. Pease.

III. SUB-FAMILY BUTEONINÆ. THE BUZZARDS.

Bill short, strong, upper mandible curved, and with its edges festooned; wings long and broad; tail moderate, rather short; legs and feet moderate; toes rather short. General form heavy; flight vigorous, and capable of being long continued, but not so swift as in preceding sub-families. This group comprises about twenty-five species of all countries.