480 Mr. J. H. Gurney's Notes on 



zoflP under the title of A. cenchroides {vide antea, p. 104)^ is 

 probably referable to the same group as A. nisus; but it is 

 possible that it may prove identical with Mr. Blanford's Ba- 

 luchistan Hawk^ to which I have alluded at a previous page 

 {vide antea, p. 361)*. 



I have already expressed my opinion that Accipiter vir- 

 gatus belongs to the most typical section of the Sparrow- 

 Hawks ; and I will now proceed to the consideration of that 

 species, with reference to which I may, in the first place, ob- 

 serve that the streak of white over the eye, mentioned in Mr. 

 Sharpens description of the immature bird, is by no means a 

 constant character, being absent in many specimens. Judg- 

 ing from a remark at page 152 of his catalogue, Mr. Sharpe 

 does not appear to have met with the male of this species in 

 its second or intermediate dress ; but I have seen several males 

 in that stage. They are then chiefly characterized by the sides 

 of the breast being of a greyish brown very slightly tinged 

 with rufous, instead of a bright rufous, as in the males that 

 are fully adidt. 



In the adult plumage of this species the rufous colouring 

 of the lower part of the breast, the abdomen, and the thighs 

 is always (so far as I have observed) transversely barred with 

 white; and although the rufous of the thighs is in some 

 specimens paler than that of the adjacent parts (as described 

 by Mr. Sharpe), it is in others fully as rich and bright as 

 the rufous of the abdomen ; I have, however, never seen a 

 female in which the rufous tints were so bright as in the 

 adult males. 



This species varies considerably in size, as will be seen by 

 the following measurements, chiefly taken from specimens in 

 the Norwich Museum : — 



Wing from Middle 



carpal joint. Tarsus. toe, s. u. 



in. in. in. 

 Presumed males : 



From India (exact locality im- 



known) ' 6-2 1-9 1-2 



Ditto, ditto 6-15 1-8 1-25 



* [Mr. Dresser tells us that Dr. Severtzoff now considers this bird to be 

 only a large form of A. badiits, — Ed.] 



