17 



Immature. Upper parts much as in adult; tail greyish brown, crossed with 

 bands of dusky. Below dull white with longitudinal brown or dusky streaks on 

 breast and sides. 



Male, L., 15.89; W., 10.68; T., 6.75. Female, L., 16.76; W., 11.41; T., 7.09. 



Nest, in trees. Eggs, three or four, dull white blotched or washed with various 

 shades of brown. 



AMERICAN EOUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 



Adult. Head and neck whitish streaked with dusky, upjier parts brown, 

 irregularly varied with white, grayish dusky or rufous; base of tail and upper 

 tail coverts, white; rest of tail lighter brown, barred near the end with blackish. 

 Under parts varying from white to buify streaked and spotted with black', these 

 marks uniting to form a black abdominal zone. Legs densely feathered in front 

 and on sides down to base of toes. 



Immature. Similar to adult, but tail without bars except for the white tip. 

 Under parts more heavily marked with black. 



Blaclc phase. Plumage more or less entirely black; primaries and tail barred 

 with whitish and grayish. 



L., 23.00; W., 16.00; T., 9.50. 



The plumage of this species is very variable but it may always be distinguished 

 by its large size and feathered legs. 



Nest, on large trees or shelves of rocks. Eggs, two or three dirty white, 

 blotched with reddish brown. 



AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 



Adult Male. Head slaty blue with generally a rufous spot on crown; a black 

 mark before and behind the white ear coverts ; back, chestnut red, witli or without 

 black spots or bars; tail chestnut red, a black band near its end; tin, white. 

 Under parts creamy white to buff, with a few black spots or none. 



Admit Female. Back, tail and wing coverts chestnut red barred with bhick; 

 head as in the male ; under parts more or less streaked with lirown. 



Immature. Resembles the adult. 



L., 10.00; W., 7.30; T., 4.80. 



Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, four or five, very variable, usually pale reddish 

 buff, marked all over with reddish brown, 



OWLS. 



Eoi some reason owls have always lict'ii ticatcd with a cert^ain amount of 

 ridicule and contempt. In the minds of the ignorant and superstitious they were 

 associated with eats and witches, and wore supposed to possess a certain amount 

 of influence with the latter, whose orgies they entered into with a great deal of 

 spirit. In mythology, however, this bird was treated respectfully. ^Tinerva, the 

 goddess of wisdom, selected it as her attendant, and "as wise as an owl" has 

 passed into a proverb by reason thereof. 



Most of the owls seen in the day-tinic seem to be stupid, chimsv and inert 

 creatures, as they sit winking and blinking in the unaccustomed light, striving as 



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