Buteo. BIRDS. ACCIPITRES. 55 



De Accipitre Palumbario, Will. Orn. 51 Sibb. Scot 15. Goshawk, 



Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 134, — Falco, Palumbus, Temm. i. 55. — TV, Hebog 

 marthin. — Breeds in Scotland ; is rare in England. 

 Length about 2 feet. Bill blue, tipt with black, cere yellowish green, iri- 

 des and feet yellow. Plumage, above, bluish-grey ; beneath, while, with trans- 

 verse brown bars. Tail cinereous, with 4 or 5 dark brown bands. The fe- 

 male has the plumage above, with a tinge of brown ; and brownish streaks on 

 the throat. Breeds in trees, and probably rocks. Eggs 2 to 4, bluish-white, 

 with brown spots and streaks. In the young birds, the head, neck, and belly, 

 are rufous, with longitudinal brown spots. Tip of the tail white. These, in 

 different stages of their plumage, have been termed Gentil Falcons. Feeds 

 on the largest kinds of birds. It was formerly held hi high esteem in hunt- 

 ing, and flown at cranes, geese, and big game. 



24. B. Nisus. Sparrow-hawk. — Tarsi long. A white spot 

 on the nape. 



De Accipitre Fringillario, Will. Orn. 51. Sibb. Scot. 15. — Sparrow-hawk, 



Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 198 Falco Nisus, Tern. Orn. L 56.— W, Gwepia; 



G, Speir sheog — Common. 

 Length 12, breadth 23 inches; weight 5 ounces. Bill black, cere, hides, 

 and legs, yellow. The bill is sharp, and the hook on the upper mandible dis- 

 tinct. Plumage above, deep bluish-grey ; beneath, white, with a reddish 

 tinge, with longitudinal streaks of brown on the throat, and transverse bars 

 on the other parts. Tail with indistinct bands. Female two thirds larger. 

 Breeds in trees and old ruins. Eggs 3 to 6, dirty white, with angular red- 

 dish spots. The Young have the upper parts with a reddish tinge, and yel- 

 lowish, or brown, beneath. Feeds on small birds, which it pursues fearlessly. 

 Destructive to pigeons and young chickens. 



b. The third quill-feather the longest. Tarsi produced. 



25. B. ceruginosus. — Moor Buzzard. Nostrils kidney-shaped. 

 Wings a little shorter than the tail. 



Milvus serug. Will. Orn. 42. Sibb. Scot. 15. — Falco serug. Linn. Syst. i. 

 139. — Moor Buzzard, Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 192 — Falco rufus, fern. L 

 69.— S, Bog-gled ; W, Bod y gwerni. — Near swampy situations, not 

 uncommon. 

 Length 20, breadth 50 inches ; weight 21 ounces. Bill and claws black ; 

 cere and irides yellow. The upper mandible has a distinct blunt tooth. 

 Head, neck, and breast, yellowish-white, with longitudinal brown spots ; the 

 rest of the plumage chocolate-brown, with the margins more or less ferrugi- 

 nous. Quills white at the base, the remainder black. Inner webs of the 

 first four, and the outer webs of the second, third, fourth and fifth abbreviat- 

 ed. Breeds on the ground, rarely on trees. Eggs 3 or 4, less than those of 

 the preceding species, and of a spotless white. Young with the plumage 

 more uniformly brown, including the crown, chin, and breast, the yellowish- 

 white appearing only on the hind head. Iris brownish black. Feeds like the 

 former. 



26. B. cineraceus. Ash-coloured Buzzard. — Wings exceed 



the tail in length. 



Falco cinerarius, Mont. Orn. Diet, et Suppt. Lin. Trans, ix. 188. Tern. 

 L 76. — Breeds hi England. — Montagu. 



Length 18, breadth 44 inches; weight 9| ounces. Bill and claws black; 

 the latter small. Cere greenish. Irides, and margins of the eye, and legs 

 yellow. Plumage, above, cinereous brown ; beneath, white, with a broad 

 streak of bright bay down the shaft of each feather. Quills dusky black ; the 

 first very short, the third by far the longest. Secondaries cinereous with 



