in the Norwich Museum, (Vide Ibis, 1868, p. 144.) Mr. Andersson
writes —“ To the best of my recollection I have never met with this
bird either in Damara or Great Namaqua Land, though I have observed
it sparingly in the lake-regions, and near the river Okavango.”
It has not occurred to Señor Anchieta in the Mossamedes country,
but Mr. Monteiro procured a young male in Angola, which is now in
the British Museum. . Being immature, it is a difficult thing to determine
whether this should be referred to A. minullus or to A. ery-
thropus, but from its pale colouration it seems to be the southern
bird, which probably goes to Angola with Oossypha natalensis and
other true South-African species. A. erytlvropus is confined to the
Gold Coast, and is little more than a dark race of A. minullus,
affording an analogous case to A. tachiro and A. macroscelides.
According to Le Vaillant (who states that it inhabits the country
between the Gamtoos River and Kaffraria), it is a bold and fearless
little hawk, preying on small birds or insects, hunting in pairs, and
breeding in trees. The eggs are five, spotted with brown at the
ends. Mr. Andersson gives an instance of a daring attack made upon
him by one of these little hawks, and Mr. T. C. Atmore sent with
the young male bird which he shot at Elands* Post, a specimen of
FLyphantornis spilonotus which it had in its claws: this is a large
quarry for so small a bird to capture.
Young.—Upper parts dark-brown; throat and chin white; sparsely
streaked with brown; under parts very much blotched with dark-
brown ; the markings here and there edged with rufous; thighs
rufous-brown; tail above brown, faintly barred with a darker shade,
but below these bars show plainly on a grey ground. Length, 10^" ;
wing, 6” ; tail, 5".
Adult male.— A b o v e d e e p s l a t y b l a c k , t h e h i n d n e c k s l i g h t l y
m o t t l e d w i th w h i t e ; s id e s o f f a c e a n d n e c k u n i f o rm w i t h t h e c row n ;
t h e u p p e r t a i l - c o v e r t s w h i t e a t b a s e , t h e lo w e r o n e s a ls o c o n s p ic u o u s ly
t ip p e d w i t h w h i t e ; t a i l b l a c k i s h b r o w n , t ip p e d w i t h w h i t e , w i t h tw o
f a in t l y i n d i c a t e d b a n d s o f p a l e r b r o w n , t h e l in e o f t h e s e c r o s s b a n d s
b e i n g in d i c a t e d b y tw o l a r g e s p o t s o f w h i t e o n t h e i n n e r w e b ; u n d e r
S u rfa c e o f t a i l p a l e r b r o w n , b a r r e d d i s t in c t ly a n d t i p p e d w i th w h ite ,
t h e o u t e rm o s t f e a t h e r e n t i r e ly a s h y w h ite , w i t h e ig h t o r n in e b a r s o f
d a r k b r o w n ; u n d e r s u r f a c e o f b o d y w h i t e , t h e s id e s b r i g h t c h e s tn u t ,
t h e lo w e r t h r o a t a n d u n d e r t a i l - c o v e r t s i n d i s t i n c t l y b u t t h e b r e a s t
p l a in ly th o u g h n a r r o w ly b a r r e d w i th ru fo u s , m o s t o f t h e b a r s h a v in g
a conterminous line of dark brown; under wing-coverts deep ochre,
streaked or barred with dark brown ; iris and legs yellow. Total
length 9‘7 inches, culmen O’7, wing 5'8, tail 4-6, tarsus 1’7>
Adult female.—Similar to the male, but larger. Total length, 11'5
inches; wing, 6-6 ; tarsus, 175.
Fig. Levaill, Ois. d’Afr. pi. 34.
22. A c c ip it er melanoleucus. Black-and-white Sparrow-Hawk.
Astur melanoleucus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 27 (1867).
Among the many good things sent to the South African Museum
by Mr. Jackson, of Nel*s Poort, appeared a young female individual
of this rare bird. While staying with him during the month of
December, 1863, we saw, just out of gunshot, a bird which we feel
sure was an adult specimen. He also informed us that he had frequently
seen a similar bird, but could never get within range of it. •
It has been obtained at “ Table Farm” near Grahams* Town, but
it is a rare species in that neighbourhood. Mr. Atmore shot a pair
near Blanco. In the Leyden Museum is a specimen from Sunday
River. Captain Shelley’s collection contains a bird from the Knysna,
and Yictorin procured it at the same locality in the month of June.
It is rare in Natal, according to Mr. Ayres, but more numerous from
November to March than at other seasons; it has not been met
with to the northward in the Zambesi country, nor did Andersson
ever meet with it during his travels in Damara Land. It is found,
however, on the Gold Coast and the Niger. Mr. Atmore. tells us
that his birds had proved very destructive to poultry in their neighbourhood.
Their nest, in a large tree, contained three young birds
and an egg just hatching.
The head, neck, and breast dark brownish-black; back pale-brown;
shoulders much diversified with white; body, tail, and thighs white;
tail-feathers equal, usually dashed with red. Length, 20” . (Sir A.
Smith.)
A fine pair of these hawks, male and female, shot by Mr. Atmore
and his son George near Blanco, differ materially from the phases of
plumage described by Dr. Smith. The male is throughout of a rich
brown-black; the chin and vent are white, with streaks and blotches
of the prevailing colour. Length, 18” ; wing, 11” 5"'; tail, 9J” .
The male resembles the female on the upper side, but below she is