36 THE AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 



shafts of the feathers black, and frequently with the feathers narrowly edged with black, presenting 

 a squamite or scale-like appearance ; a conspicuous stripe over the eye, and an obscure and partially 

 concealed occipital and nuchal band, white ; entire under parts mottled with a white and light ashy 

 brown ; every feather with a longitudinal line of dark brown on its shaft, and with numerous 

 irregular and imperfect transverse lines or narrow stripes of light ashy brown, more distinct and 

 regular on the abdomen and tibiae ; quills brown, with bands of a deeper shade of the same color, 

 and of ashy white on their inner webs ; tail same color as other upper parts ; under surface very 

 pale, nearly wliite, having about four obscure bands of a deeper shade of ashy brown, and narrowly 

 tipped with white ; under tail covert white. 



Young. Entire upper parts including head, dark brown, with the feathers, especially on the 

 head and neck behind, edged and spotted with light reddish or nearly white ; tail light ashy, with 

 about five wide and conspicuous bands of ashy brown, and narrowly tipped with ashy white ; quills 

 brown with wide bars of a darker shade of the same color, and wide bands of reddish white on their 

 inner webs ; under paits white, generally tinged with yellowish and frequently with reddish, every 

 feather with a longitudinal stripe, terminating in an ovate spot of brown ; sides and tibia; frequently 

 with circular and lanceolate spots, and irregular bands of the same color, the latter (tibia;) generally 

 very conspicuously marked in this manner : under tail coverts white, with a lew large lanceolate 

 spots of brown. 



Total length — Female : 22 to 24 inches ; wings about 14 ; tail 10)^ to II inches. 



" — Male : about 20 inches ; wing I2_}^ ; tail 9/2 inches. 



Bill, bluish-black and white ; iris, cere and feet, yellow. 



