ACC1PITER NISUS.
Sparrow-hawk.
Fated; Nisiis, Lip.11. Syst. Nat., tom. L. p. 130.
Accipiterfrivgillarms., Ray, Syn., p. 18.
— Nisus, Pall. Zoog. Rosa. Asiat., tom
maculalus. Briss. On
— Ditssumieri, Jerd M
- nisosimilis, Tick. Jo*
subtypicus, Hodg*. ii
Nisus communis, CuV.
— jfcingillarit&LK*
Sparvms Nisvsj Rowa.
m. i. p. 370.
m. i. p. 314.
s Journ. of Lit. and Sei., völ,:x. p. '<
Asiat. Spc. Beng., vol. ii. p. 571.
iy’s zäof. Misc. 1844, p. 81.
111. Eucy. M6th. Orn., pt. iii. p. 1262.
I t would be interesting to know a t what date the term Sparrow-hawk was applied to this bird. Craig’s
Dictionary states that Speara is the Saxon, and Sparwa the Gothic name o f the Sparrow, and Hafoc the
Saxon for Hawk; and'hence probably the term was derived. Nine out of every ten persons apply the term
to the Kestrel, a bird that is much more common, and totally different in colour, actions, and economy. The
comparatively harmless Kestrel or Windhover may almost any day be seen fanning the air with its lengthened
wings, while the round-winged dashing Sparrow-hawk is much more recluse, generally sitting in the midst of
ing a flight o f Starlings or a flock of Larks, on which he may steal, unperceived,
»sful stoop; while a t other times he maybe seen perched on the bare branch
e he makes a raid upon some poor Sparrow, Yellowhammer, or Greenfinch that
>r displaying great cunning while stealthily winging his way over the fields, o r sur-
j,y overtopping the hedge and securing the terror-stricken bird with the quick*
;aii find shelter among the foliage. How different are one and all o f these
ndhover, who poises himself aloft on quivering wings and scans the surface of
sufficiently near to make a so«
o f a tree, rail, or post, whence
has attracted his attention ot
prising his Fringilline victim
ness of lightning, before it c
actions from those o f the W
the ground for a mouse, a £
economy o f the two birds 1 i
the other morose, sulky, am
with its sharp and powerful
cative o f his wicked disposition, while the soft, full black,eye o f the Kestrel betokens a very different nature.
beetle, a frog, o r perchance a young la rk ! How varied are the actions and
leafy tree, perchance wato
low different are they in temper and disposition—one naturally tame and docile,
spiteful, throwing forward its long legs and grasping anything within its reach
alons. The very eye of the Sparrow-hawk, beautifully coloured as it is, is indisome
is to bring into stronger contrast the difference i» their mode of life, and to show
•companied by peculiar habits. But, to return to the Sparrow-hawk
I make these comparisons t
that diversities in structure are al*v
as a native o f England, next to tl
is so universally dispersed that cv
preservation should be its motto i
are pretty well kept down, more t
it is sufficiently numerous for it to
of the male, has no red colour on
back is then blue-grey, and her
the breast is longitudinally blotcbe
tawnv at the tip. A similar chan
lengthened
the allied |
ance o f at*
ferent mod
destined to
hawk is n
birds o f ti
to kill let
flight and
W. Oxemt
h e Kestrel, the Accipiier Nisus is our commonest species of Hawk, and
verv portion o f the British Islands is alike frequented by it. That self-
is c ertain ; for it has no friend to depend upon, and hence its numbers-
than a single pair being seldom found to breed in the same d istrict; still
i in. characterized as common. The female, which is nearly twice the size
i the breast and flanks until she has attained a t least her third year: her
under surface beautifully barred with browu. During the first year,
M-jiis brown, while the feathers of the back are brown, with a crescent ot
<,.f plumage also distinguishes the little male a t the same age. A
'tmhing feature o f all true' Accipiters; for although most o f the species of
ilar style o f colouring, their middle toe is much shorter, and a preponder-
hinder one—a feature which clearly indicates that it is for a dif-
true Falco
i to the fitted for
find to be the case; for it is upon the smaller quadrupeds and birds tha
e Sparrow-hawk attacks almost exclusively the feathered race. The female Sn
idable than the male, and is as destructive to Partridges,
Pig
little mate is to the Sparrow and the Greenfinch. She is als
•Mrits, and other small anim,yl§vTo give some idea o f fchi
Hv-knvk, I shall here insert a note on the subject, tn
«a. id St. Alban’s Court, near Wingham, in Kent.
wholly at variance with the creed of all fideooert,
rtd strike their prey, while the short-winged Hawks chase ai
Plug towards Dover, when suddenly a SparrO'v-hawk, with a s
horse’s head. The Lark fell as a Grouse o r a Partridge wi
f of the
me by
c affirm that tb
hitch. Tht
> like a Fa!
It to a Falc
or