580 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
than those of the Sparrow Hawk. The number of dark bands lòfi
the tail is the same ill both, iuiiaoly four on .the middle feathers,, and
six on the lateral. ThiV* tail is h<H always precisely oven, being in
bof h European and American birds often slightly rounded, the lateral
feather being sometimes a quarter of an inch shorter than the
longest.- *
A species most intimately allied to the Sharp-shinned Hawk presents
the nam e form and colours, but differs ^¡fomewhar in its: proportions,
and is much larger. 'I'll tí l i l i is much higher at the base, its up -
per outline slopes from the commencement, and the fistoon on its edge
is less prominent. The: tarsi and toes are proportionally stronger, the
edge on the former not nearly so prominent. The first quill is a little
longer than tlm first secondary, the fifth quill (not the fourth) is longest
; and the tail is rounded, the lateral feather in a female, befag eight -
twelfths of an inch shorter than the. longest. The dimensions of a female
of this species, shot by myself in South Carolina, are as follow® :|P"
Length to end of tail liiJ- inches; wing from flexure 10 ; tail 7 ¡ í :
bill along the ridge 1 ; tarsu.- 2,7j : hind toe fjjj| its claw I ; middle toe
1 ¡s2. its .elaw -
It is very probable that this is the Accipiler Mexicaims of Mr Swainson,
whose, brief account of a female of that species, in the Fauna ltoreali
Americana, agrees sufficiently with it.,; There are, however, some
errors in his critical observations, at p. 44- Thus,ihe states that Wns o s ' s
figure gif the Slate-coloured Hawk, Accipiter I'anusykanicw, is perfectly
characteristic,: in having the tail quite even at the end ; but that
Tkmmint.k'.s .-1 ulùtir fi bee sinueux is doubtful, the>tail being represented
as distinctly rounded. Now, in fact, the tail of our Sharp-shinned
Hawk is when perfect a little rounded, but often when worn quite
esèn or square. Both the. figures in l'la¿e ( "CCLXXIV represent it
as a|§§ttg rounded, and such it is in five .specimens out of eight,, four
of these, being females, and one a male ; while the three specimens in
which the tail may be said to. be quite even are males. Again, he
s t a t e that " the anterior scales :.on. the tarsus of, ¿1. I'e.nmylrnnioui are
entire, being apparently formed externally of one entire piece ; whereas
in Mmcanvs, the transverse: divisions are distinctly visible,1' The
latter part of the sentence is certainly correct, in so far as may be
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 531
judged from a single vrery fine specimen ; but the scales are equally
distinct in all the younger individuals of the A . Pmnsylvanious, although
in oire, an old male, the distinctions between the greater number are
obliterated, so that they resemble a single plate. There is nothing
very remarkable in this, however, for the like happens to other Hawks;
it having been long ago remarked with regard to the Sparrow Hawk of
Europe, Accipiter Ni&w, that " in some individuals^ the anterior oblique
scutella, as wdfflas the hexagonal scales of the sides, are so
indistinct, that all traces of them disappear when the parts become
Accipiter Xkw, A. nelox. and A. Mexicanus, which are most closely
allied, insomuch that it is extremely difficult to distinguish them from
each other, may lie characterized as follows :- r
A. Mexicanux is largest; has the fifth quill longest, the first primary
much longer than the last, the tail distinctly rounded, the tarsi stouter,
and with fifteen scales: the upper parts deep slate-blue ; the lower
banded with light red :and white.
A. velox is smallest, has the fourth quill longest, the first primary
much shorter than the last, the tail even, the tarsi extremely slender,
with fifteen scales : the colours exactly as in Mexi&mus.
A. Nisw is intermediate in size, never so small as velox, but sometimes,
as large as Mexicanus, with the fourth quill longest, the first and
last primary about equal, the tail very slightly rounded or even, the
tarsi very slender, with eighteen scales,, the upper parts deep slate-blue,
the i|8<er narrowly banded with light red in the male, and dusky in the
female.
This species was described by Wi l son under the name of Sharpshinned
Hawk, Fctlco veloz, and figured in PI. XI.V. a young female
only being represented, although a description, is given of a young
male also. He afterwards figured an adult male (PI. XLVI ) , and described
it under the name of Slate-coloured Hawk, Falco Pmnsyloar
nicus, considering i t as a distinct species. It appears, however, that it
had previously been described under several names. Thus Falco /metis
of Mii.leii and Gmelin, and the American Brown Hawk of La tham,
seem to be the same bird in the young state. Falco dubius of Gm klin
and La tham, the Dubious Falcon of the latter and of Pennant are also