658 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — RAPTORES — A CCIPITRES. 



winged Falcons. Their flight is swift and dashing; they capture their prey in open chase with 

 amazing celerity and address, always killing for themselves and disdaining refuse. Their 

 quarry is chiefly birds and quadrupeds. Astur and Accipiter are the typical and principal 

 genera, of which some 50 species (chiefly of the former genus) are known, inhabiting most 

 parts of the world. Our representatives of these genera are easily discriminated, but some 

 exotic species connect tliem so closely that the A. 0. U. makes Astur a subgenus of Accipiter. 



Analijsis of Genera or Suhgeyiera. 



Small and medium-sized ; length 20.00 or less. Tarsus more extensively denuded, and scutellate, sometimes booted. 



Accipiter 

 Large ; length over 20.00. Tarsus less extensively denuded, and scutellate, never booted Astur 



ACCI'PITER. (Lat. accipiter, a hawk. Fig. 450.) Sharp-shinned Hawks. Tarsi 

 feathered about |- way down in front, or less (in Astur about ^ way), and quite slender (whence 

 the term "sharp-shinned"); in one of our two species prominently and continuously scutellate 

 before and behind, the scutellation continued on to the toes ; in the other the same, or finally 

 fused in a continuous " boot." Toes long, slender, the outer much webbed at base and padded 

 underneath ; inner claw much larger than middle one, approximately equalling hind claw ; 

 height of bill at base greater than chord of culmen ; 4th and 5th quills longest, 3d and 6th 

 next, 2d shorter than 6th, 1st very short. The two following species are exactly alike in color ; 

 one is a miniature of the other. The ordinary plumage is dai'k brown above (deepest on head, 

 the occipital feathers showing white when disturbed), with an ashy or plumbeous 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 brownish-red (palest behind and 

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

 and crissum white, with blackish pencilling, the crissum, however, usually immaculate; wings 

 and tail barred with ashy and brown or blackish, quills white-barred basally, tail whitish- 

 tipped ; bill dark ; claws black ; iris, cere, and feet yellow. Sexes alike in color ; 9 much 

 larger than ^. 



Analysis of Species. 



Feet extremely slender ; bare portion of tarsus longer than middle toe ; scutella frequently fused ; tail square, 

 cf 10.00-12.00; extent about 21.00; wing C.00-7.00; tail 5.00-G.OO. ? 12.00-14.00; extent about 25.50 ; wing 7.00- 

 8.00 ; tail 6.00-8.00 ; whole foot 3.50 or less veJox 



Feet moderately stout ; bare portion of tarsus shorter than middle toe ; scutella always distinct ; tail rounded, 

 cf lG.00-18.00 ; extent about 30.00 ; wing 9.00-10.00 ; tail 7.00-8.00. $ 18 00-20.00 ; extent about 35.00 ; wing 

 10.00-11.00; tail 8.00-9.00; whole foot 4.00 or more . . . . , cooperi 



A. ve'lox. (Lat. velox, swift, moving with velocity or rapidity. Fig. 451.) Sharp-shinneu 

 Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk (so called, but not to be confounded with Falco columharius) . 

 Little Blue Darter. Adult $ 9 '• Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray, 

 somewhat more fuscous on wings and tail than on the body ; feather.s of hind-head with fleecy 

 white bases, scapulars with concealed white spots. Tail crossed by about 4 blackish bars, the 

 first under the coverts, the last subterminal and broadest; extreme tips of the feathers white. 

 Primaries also marked with blackish bars or spots, and whitening at their bases, in bars or in- 

 dents of the inner webs. Under parts barred crosswise with rufous on a white ground, the bars 

 on some parts cordate and connected along shafts of the feathers, which are blackish ; ear-coverts 

 rufous ; rufous mostly or entirely wanting on cheeks, throat, and crissum, which are more or less 

 finely pencilled with black shafts of the feathers; crissum, however, often pure white. Axil- 

 lars barred like other under parts ; lining of wings white, with dusky spots. Dimensions as 

 above. Young: Above, umber-brown, varied with rusty-brown edgings of most of the feath- 

 ers ; white spots of scapulars exposed. Below, white more or less tawny-tinged, striped length- 

 wise with dark brown or reddish-brown on most parts, the feathers mostly black-shafted. This 



