70 THE RETEOSPECT. 



The first quill feather in the unknown Hawk has an abrupt notch on 

 the inner web, an inch and a half from the tip; whereas the notch on 

 the first feather in the male Sparrow Plawk is two inches and three- 

 quarters, and in the female three inches from the tip. The second quill 

 feather in the unknown Hawk has an abrupt notch on its inner web, one 

 inch and a quarter from the tip, and is gradually narrowed on its outer 

 web, commencing two inches and a half from the tip; whilst the second 

 quill feather in the male Sparrow Hawk has a notch on its inner web two 

 inches and a half from the tip, and the narrowing on the outer web of 

 the second quill commences in the male Sparrow Hawk three inches and 

 three-eighths from the tip, and four inches and a quarter from the tip in 

 the female. The third and remaining quill feathers in the wing of the 

 unknown Hawk have no notch on their inner web; whereas in the male 

 and female Sparrow Hawk the third and fourth quill feathers are notched, 

 and in the male on the outer web it suddenly begins to narrow upwards of 

 three inches, and in the female three inches and three-quarters from the 

 tip of the wing. 



In the unknown Hawk the dentate process is distinct, and is evidently 

 that of a true Falcon; whereas in the Sparrow Hawk there is no positive 

 tooth, and the point of the festoon is not near the tip of the upper man- 

 dible, as in the true Falcons, but about the middle of the mandible. In 

 the unknown Hawk the upper mandible is three-quarters of an inch in 

 length; in the male Sparrow Hawk it is half an inch, and in the female 

 eleven-sixteenths of an inch. 



In the unknown Hawk the distance between the nostrils is three-six- 

 teenths of an inch; in the male Sparrow Hawk it is two-sixteenths, and in 

 the female three sixteenths of an inch. In the unknown Hawk the gape, 

 from angle to angle at the base of the mouth, is three-quarters of an inch; 

 in the male Sparrow Hawk it is half an inch, and in the female it is 

 ten-sixteenths. 



I will now, as you seem to encourage the idea that the unknown Hawk 

 is a hybrid between the Kestrel and Sparrow Hawk, give various com- 

 parisons in detail with the Kestrel. 



In the unknown Hawk on the first, second, third, and fourth toes, the 

 scutelloQ number, respectively, eight, ten, twenty two, and thirteen; in the 

 Kestrel the numbers are seven, nine, sixteen, and eleven. In the unknown 

 Hawk, from the anterior band of the wing to its tip, the length is seven 

 inches and three-quarters; whereas in the Kestrel it is ten inches. In the 

 unknown Hawk the distance from the tip of the wing to the tip of the 

 tail is one inch and one-eighth; in the Kestrel it is two inches. In the 

 unknown Hawk the longest feather in the wing is the third, whilst in the 

 Kestrel the longest quill feather is the second in the wing. 



