AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 



Falco sparverius. 



Char. Adult male : head bluish ash, with reddish patch on crown, and 

 black patch on sides and nape ; back rufous ; wings bluish and black in 

 bars ; tail tawny, with black band, and tipped with white ; below, buffish or 

 tawny. Female : rufous and black, more streaked than the male ; the 

 tail tawny, with several blackish bars. Length lo to ii inches. 



Nest. Usually in cavities of trees, often in Woodpecker's holes, some- 

 times in deserted nest of a Crow. 



Eggs. 5-7 ; buffish, occasionally white, blotched with dull red and 

 brown; 1.33 X 112. 



This beautiful and singularly marked bird appears to reside 

 principally in the warmer parts of the United States. They are 

 particularly abundant in the winter throughout South Carolina, 

 Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, whither they assemble from 

 the remote interior of the Northern States, wandering in sum- 

 mer as far as the Rocky Mountains, and were even seen by 

 Dr. Richardson in the remote latitude of 53° ; these appear, 

 however, to be only stragglers, nor do they seem at all to visit 



