FALCONID^. 29 



36. Melierax niger (VieiU.). African Black Hawk. 



Sparvius niger, Vieillot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 22. 



Accipiter niger, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. to Om. 



1852, p. 142. 

 Melierax niger, Layard's Cat. No. 4o, 

 Nisus niger, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vcigel Ost-Afrika's, p. 88. 



This rather scarce Hawk is usually met with either 

 singly or in pairs. I do not recollect having seen it in 

 Great Namaqua Land ; but it is found to the north as 

 far as the Okavango and eastward to the lake, though 

 nowhere numerous. It is not particularly shy ; its food 

 consists of small birds, mice, &c. 



The irides are cherry-colour; the base of the bill 

 yellowish red, the tips of the mandibles black ; the legs 

 and toes vermilion, with the scutellated parts yellowish. 



Measurements of a male and a female : — 



37. Accipiter tachiro (Baud.). Taehiro Sparrow-Hawk. 

 Fako taehiro, Teniminck's PI. Col. pi. 377 & 420. 

 Accipiter taehiro, Gumey, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 

 p. 2. 



Aecipiter polyzonoides, Andersson in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 4. 



Accipiter taehiro, Layard's Cat. No. 40. 



Nisus taehiro, Finsch & Hartlaub, Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 78. 



I only obtained two or three specimens of this Hawk, 

 which is very rare in Damara Land. 



