118 A HAND-LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare vagrant. Most recorded ex- 

 amples immature from east coasts England and Scotland ; elsewhere 

 and especially in west, extremely rare. One 0. Hebrides winter 

 1887-8, but authenticity of three recorded in Ireland doubtful (R. J. 

 Ussher, List of Irish Birds, p. 28). Nest, probably of wild bird, with 

 four eggs found and female shot near Grosmont (Yorks.) May, 1893 

 {Brit. B., I, p. 319). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe generally, but replaced by allied 

 races in various parts of northern Asia, apparently in Sardinia, and 

 in North America. 



[Note. — Specimens of the American Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis atrica- 

 pillus (Wilson), are said to have been obtained in Perthshire, Tipperary^ and 

 King's CO. (Yarrell, i, p. 87 ; Saunders^ p. 322).] 



ACCIPITER NISUS 



249. Accipiter nisus nisus (L.) —THE SPARROW-HAWK. 



Falco Nisus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 92 (1758 — "Habitat in 



Europa." Restricted typical locahty : Sweden). 



Accipiter tiisus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, i, p. 88 ; Saunders, p. 333. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Generally distributed 

 where there are woodlands. Very doubtful if ever occurred O. 

 Hebrides or Shetlands, and is rare Orkneys and extreme north and 

 north-west Scotland. Frequently observed as autumn migrant on 

 east coast Great Britain. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe generally, east apparently to 

 west Siberia, but replaced by very closely-allied subspecies in 

 Madeira and Canary Islands, north-west Africa, Corsica and Sardinia, 

 and by better defined ones in various parts of Asia. 



MILVUS MILVUS 



250. Milvus milvus (I..)— THE KITE. 



Falco Melvtjs Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 89 (1758 — Europe, Asia, 



Africa. Restricted typical locality : S. Sweden). 



Milvus regalis, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B., i, p. 74. 



Milvus ictinus (Savigny), Yarrell, i, p. 92 ; Saunders, p. 335. 



Distribution. — Great Britain. — Eesident. Formerly abundant, 

 now confined to Wales, where only five birds known in 1905, but 

 over twenty in 1910. Now very rare vagrant elsewhere. Recorded 

 occurrences in Ireland cannot be substantiated (R. J. Ussher, List of 

 Irish Birds, p. 28). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — From south Sweden throughout Europe, 

 east to Russia ; north-west Africa and western Canary Islands. 

 North European birds are migratory, but do not seem to cross the 

 Sahara. 



