.SHAUl'-SlIlNiNED HAWK. 195 



This is one of those birds re'jfarding which the idea prevailed that 

 they took game and poultry, and should therefore he killed wlienever 

 they came within reach. But the evidence shows that the Marsh 

 Hawk does so only on very rare occasions. Tt does so much good 

 by the destruction of injuiious rodents, that 1 hope in future it will 

 be allowed to follow its course in peace. 



Genus ACCIPITER JJkisson. 



kSuboenus ACCIPITER. 

 ACCIPITER YELOX (Wils.). 



140. Sharp-shinned Hawk. (■■5-^2) 



Feet, extremely .slender; liare portion of tarsus longer than middle toe; 

 scutellie, frequently fused; tail, square. Above, dark brown (deepest on the 

 liead, the occipital feathers showing white when disturbed), with an aslij' or 

 phunbeous shade, which increases with age till the general cast is quite bluish- 

 ash ; below, white or whitish, variously streaked with dark brown and rusty, 

 finally changing to Ijrownish-red (palest bqhind and slightly ashy across the 

 breast), with the white then only showing in narrow cross-bars; chin, throat 

 and crissum mostly white with blackish penciling ; wings and tail, barred with 

 ashy and brown oi' l)lackish ; the quills, white, barred basally ; the tail, whitish 

 tipped; bill, daik : claws, black; cere and feet, j'ellow. Male: — 10-12; wings, 

 (5-7; tail. "i-(J. Fmnt/e: — 12-14; wings, 7-8; whole foot, 3^ or less. 



Hab. — Xortli Amei'ica in general, south to Panama. 



Nest, ill trees. 



Kggs, four or fi\e, grayish-white, slia<led with purple and splashed with 

 brown, in en<lless shapes and shades. 



This is a rather common summer resident in Southern Ontario, 

 smaller in size than Cooper's Hawk, but similar in markings. It 

 lives chiefly on small birds, and nothing can exceed the impetuosity 

 with which it dashes down and captures them by sheer power of 

 flight. 



" Many have been the times," says Audubon, "when watching this 

 vigilant, active and industrious bird, have I seen it plunge headlong 

 into a patcli of briers, in defiance of all thorny obstacles, and passing 

 through, emerge on the other side, bearing off with exultation in its 

 •sharp claws a finch or a sparrow which it had surprised at rest." 



This species is much given to variation in size and markings, 

 making it difficult at times to distinguish between a large Sharp- 

 .shinned and a small Cooper's Hawk. In the present species, the legs 



