FALCO SPARVERIUS. .j^f. 



GENUS I. FALCO. TllK TllL K FALCONS. 



:v. Cii. Di//, sk-jr!, broad, well currc-il. with tlie aUtvntj uihjc tif vppcr mandible, di^'linctli/ toothed, and the lowir, 

 noiclud. 'i'nrsvs, not ';>ni/ and ncarh/ nah.d. Tail, sliijlithj rounded, not exceeding in length one half the length of the wiuys 

 which arc considi rably elonyated and pointed. No.'itril, with central tviercle. 



Jlrmlioi-s (,f this genu- Imve the leg short, ami the t:n-sus is usually naked to the heel hchinil, hut is sliirhtly feathered 

 !' nt. Ti:c toes uro 1 ngand tlie claws arc quiteshort l)ut pointed. Only oneur two outer quiUsarc noticeably incised 

 n ' e inner web. 



'■ :;ac! ca is a little Uattened throughout. The sterno-traohealis is short and stout, having its origin quite near the 

 : ;;, and there is aslender bronchialis extending over all the half rings, Ijut there are no other laryngeal muscles. The 

 :'Rifi!in membrane is present and although there is a thin os transversale, it does not support a semilunar membrane. 

 ■:.vA\- if tic ocsopliagus are thin: this is at first nearly straight, then is dilated into a croj), and is again straight and 

 n into a, rather large proventricuhis with numerous small, sim|)le, oval glands arranged in a zonular band which ineas- 

 T(1 i;i colvnibarius, from which this and the following dimensions were taken. The stomach is of a rather small size, 

 n' -.It gliibular in form, with thin Imt soft walls, and is lined with a soft membrane. The fold of the duodenum is Ion", 

 '11 ingS 00, inclosing an irregularly formed pancreas which only extends about one half its entire length. The eocca, 

 ■.-. . n present, are very small. The spleen is an elliptical body lying on or near the proventriculus. Koth lobes of the liv- 

 er .;i-e short, tliick, and nearly equal in size. The heart is large and not very pointed. There are four species within our 

 limits. 



FALCO SPAEVERIUS. 

 Sparrow Hawk. 

 FaJco sparaerius Linn., Syst. Nat., I; 176R, 128. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, rather .slender. Size, small. Sternum, stout, with the marginal indentations quite large. Tongue, 

 ■short, not very tlcsliy, and abuut the same width for nearly its entire length, then rounded, bifid, and grooved beneath. Tail, 

 considerably rounded. Wings, with two outer quills incised. Tarsus, slightly feathered in front. There arc no traces of 

 any cocca. 



CoLOu. Adult male. Top of head, upper wing coverts, and secondaries, bluish-ash, with the two latter more or less 

 spotted and barred witli black, which usually extends over the middle of the secondaries. Back, rump, upper tail coverts, 

 and basal por;ii.n of tail, excepting outer webs uf outer feathers, bright cinnamon. Tip of tail, outer well of outer fcatlier, 

 and soinetiiiics the entire feather, wliite, with a suliterminal band uf varying width, extending acrcvs tl.c entire tad, and 

 bandings i.n outer feather, black. Primaries, dark-brown, barred on the inner webs with wh.ite. Throat ami sides of 

 head, white, tlic latter having two black spots, one in front of the ear coverts, neaily reacliing the eye, and the other back 

 of them There is a narrow line of black crossing the occiput, and the back i-; more or less banded with it. Under wing 

 <;overts, w!:itc, barred and -spotted with black. Kcmainder of under parts, including under tail coverts and tibia, white, 

 •overwashed, to a greater or less extent, with cinnaji in, sjjotted oa t!ie sides and ll.inks with black. The top of tlie head 

 is marked wit'i a spot of cinnamon. 



Adult. female. Similar to the male in general coloration but lack the bluish-ash of the upper wing coverts and sec- 

 ondaries, whicli are pale cinnamon, barred with black, and t!u?se markings extend over the back and tail. The tints below 

 lire ]3aler, and are streaked, excepting on the throat, under tail coverts, and tibia, with reddisli-brown. 



Ynun(j. Quite similar to the female but are more finely barred above and the.se markings extend over the rump and 

 ^.tpper tail coverts. 



IScsllinijS. Are at first covered with a yellowish down, then gradually .a.s.sume the plumage kist described. Bill, black, 

 blue at base, cere and feet, orange, iris brown, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Tl'.crc are, perhaps, few birds which show a greater amount of variation in markings than the present species. This 

 is especially noticeable in the males. Two specimens, shot in Southern Florida, present the extremes; one being nearly 

 •»hite (.n tic ucdci porii( r.s, and tl e other, decp-cirnanicn even on tlie under tail coverts and tibia. Thedarkone has but 

 iittle cinnamon on the liead yet the whiter specimen has this color extending ovcrngreater part of the crown. Sometimes 

 the I'.luish-ash of the wings is extended on to the back and in a skin from Miami, this tint crops out in pateheson the upj)cr.. 

 tail coverts and tail. Notwithstanding these variations, this species may be at once known by the cinnamon-red and other 

 cold's ii-; described. Eistriluted, as a summer lesidcnt, througl'out North America. A constant resident .south (d Jlass- 

 achusetts, where they are nut as large as those from further north. 



