44 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK— PIGEON HAWK. 



as if to prevent it from escaping by appearing on all sides of it 

 at once. They frequently take young chickens, and have been 

 seen by Nuttall to drive away a Red-tail Hawk from the vicinity 

 of their nest with all the courage of the king-bird. They oc- 

 casionally soar upward to a great height, apparently for pleasure, 

 like other Hawks, and though their wings are short, seem to 

 ascend with very little effort, while near the earth their flight is 

 by rapid flappings and short sailings, as if laborious." 



Mr. Wm. Couper informs me that this species is commonly 

 met with in the vicinity of Quebec in the autumn, but generally 

 in the young plumage. It is also a common species and nests in 

 Nova Scotia according to Dr. Gilpin. 



Sp. Char. \'ery similar to A. Coopcri, but smaller ; head bluish black above, back more 

 brownish ; throat and under tail coverts white ; other under parts fine light rufous, darkest on 

 the tibia;, spotted and barred transversely with white, chiefly on abdomen ; dark central streaks 

 on breast feathers only ; otherwise as in A. Coopcri. 



Young. Brown — darker than that of A. Cooperi ; beneath with longitudinal, ovate an I 

 circular spots of reddish brown, becoming transverse bands on flanks and tibioe ; under tail coverts 

 white, otherwise as in preceding. 



Length, lo.oo to 14.00 ; extent, 20.00 to 25.00 ; wing, 6.00 to 6.50 ; tail, 5.00 to 5-5°- 

 Iris, orange or yellow ; bill, bluish horn color ; cere and fett, yello"-. 



