18 



U. S. p. R. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



The young male of ^. Cooperi may be mistaken for the young female of the present bird. The 

 three American species of Accipiter, however, may be said to be so much alike in color as to 

 almost represent different sizes of one species. It is a group in which size is a specific character. 



List of specimens. 



ACCIPITER FUSCUS, Gmelin. 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



Falcofuscus et dubius, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 280, 281, (1788.) 

 .^cci/ji/ci- sfriadis, ViEiLL. Ois. d'Ara. Sept. I, 42, (18U7.) 



Falco velox et penn^yhanicus, Wilson Am. Orn. V, IIC, and VI, p. 13, (1812.) 

 Sparvius Unealus, Vieill. Ency . Meth. Ill, 1266, (1823.) 

 Xisus Malfini, Lesson. Traited'Orn. I, 58, (1831.) 

 Figures.— Temm. pi. col. 67 ; Vieill. Ois. d'Ara. Sept. pi. 14 ; Wilson Am. Orn. \', pi. 45, fig. 1, and VI, pi. 46, I 

 Aud. B. of Amer. pi. 374, Oct. ed. I, pi. 25. 



1; 



.iiull. — Small, tail rather long ; legs and toes slender ; entire upper parts brownish black, tinged with ashy; occiput mixed 

 with white ; throat and under tail coverts white, the former with lines of black on the shafts of the feathers ; other under parts 

 fine light rufous, deepest on the tibite, and with transverse bands of white ; shafts of the feathers with lines of dark brown ; tail 

 ashy brown, tipped with while, and with about four bands of brownish black ; quills brownish black, with bands of a darker shade, 

 and of white on their inner webs; secondaries and tcrtiaries with large pariially concealed spots of white. 



, Yoxtng. — Entire upper parts dull umber brown, tinged with ashy; neck behind mixed with white ; greater wing coverts and 

 shorter quills, with large partially concealed spots of wliite ; under parts white, with longitudinal stripes and circular and ovate 

 spots of reddish brc*rn, changing into transverse bands on the flanks and tibite ; under tail coverts white ; bill dark bluish horn- 

 color ; cere and tarsi yellow. 



Total length, female, 12 to 14 inches ; wing 7j to 8, tail 6? to 7 inches. Male, 10 to 11 inches ; wing 6to 6i, tail 5 to 54 inches. 



Hab. — Throughout North America and Me.\ico. Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington and AIus. Acad. Philadelphia. 



Apparently, this handsome little hawk inhabits the whole of North America, from Mexico to 

 the confines of the frigid zone. Numerous specimens, from various localities, are in the collec- 

 tions of the expeditions. 



This little hawk, when in adult plumage, much resembles Accipiter nisus of Europe ; but the 

 young are quite different, as is the case with nearly all the species of this family inhabiting" 

 North America, which resemble species of the Old World. 



