BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 205 



whitish, closely spotted and barred with dark ashy-brown ; 

 irides, legs, and feet, yellow. Length, from nineteen to 

 twenty-three inches. The female is like the male, but larger. 



Sparrow 1bawh. 



Thk Sparrow Hawk {Accipiicr /lisus, I.iniuvus) is a resident 

 and a widely distributed species in the British Isles ; it is 

 also a resident throughout the whole of the Palearctic 

 Region. The adult male has the upper plumage of a dark 

 bluish slate-colour, with a small white patch on the nape ; 

 tail, greyish-brown, barred wilh brown ; under fparts, rufous, 

 barred wilh rufous of a darker shade : irides, orange ; beak» 



