Species II. FALCO 8PARVERIVS. 



AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 



[Plate XVI.— Fig. 1.— Female.] 



Emerillon de St. Domingue, Buff. i. 291. Pl.enl. 465. — Arct. Zool. 212. — Litth 

 Falcon, Lath. Syn. v. i., p. 110, No. 94. lb. 95. 



In no department of ornithology has there been greater confusion, 

 or more mistakes made, then among this class of birds of prey. The 

 great difference of size between the male and female, the progressive 

 variation of plumage to which, for several years, they are subject, and 

 the difficulty of procuring a sufficient number of specimens for examina- 

 tion ; all these causes conspire to lead the naturalist into almost 

 unavoidable mistakes. For these reasons, and in order, if possible, to 

 ascertain each species of this genus distinctly, I haive determined, where 

 any doubt or ambiguity prevails, to represent both male and female, as 

 fair and perfect specimens of each may come into my possession. 

 According to fashionable etiquette the honor of precedence, in the 

 present instance, is given to i\iQ female of this species; both because she 

 is the most courageous, the largest and handsomest of the two, best 

 ascertained, and less subject to change of color than the male, who will 

 require some further examination and more observation, before we can 

 venture to introduce him. 



This bird is a constant resident in almost every part of the United 

 States, particularly in the states north of Maryland. In the southern 

 states there is a small species found, which is destitute of the black 

 spots on the head ; the legs are long and very slender, and the wings 

 light blue. This has been supposed, by some, to be the male of the 

 present species ; but this is an error. The eye of the present species 

 is dusky ; that of the smaller species a brilliant orange ; the former has 

 the tail rounded at the end, the latter slightly forked. Such essential 

 differences never take place between two individuals of the same species. 

 It ought, however, to be remarked, that in all figures and descriptions I 

 have hitherto met Avith of the bird now before us, the iris is represented 

 of a bright golden color ; but in all the specimens I have shot I uni- 

 formly found the eye very dark, almost black, resembling a globe of 

 black glass. No doubt the golden color of the iris would give the figure 

 of the bird a more striking appearance ; but in works of natural history 

 to sacrifice truth to mere picturesque effect is detestable ; though, I fear, 

 but too often put in practice. 



The nest of this species is usually built in a hollow tree ; generally 



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