Mr. R. B. Sharpens Catalogue 0/ Accipitres. 551 



sponding spots in the old males ; also the dark transverse 

 bands on the scapulars and interscapulars, though much less 

 regular and numerous than in the first plumage, are more 

 extended than in the older males, being both broader, deeper, 

 and more continuous, and, instead of being confined to the 

 lower, extend to the upper scapulars, and sometimes to the 

 upper interscapulars and the nape; the dark spots on the 

 wing-coverts are also frequently larger in this stage than in 

 the old males'^. 



I may add that the final adult male plumage appears to be 

 more rapidly assumed on the under than on the upper sur- 

 face of the body, the diminution in size and number of the 

 dark cross bars, or bar-like spots, on the scapulars being 

 apparently very gradual, and probably more complete ulti- 

 mately in some individuals than in others t^ though in the 

 typical T. sparverius, as well as in its two subspecies, T. cin- 

 namominus and T. antillarum, they seem never entirely to 

 disappear. The pattern of the tail-feathers, and especially of 

 the outer pair of rectrices, in the adult males of T. spar- 

 veriusX varies remarkably, it being frequently the case that 

 the external rectrices do not even correspond with each other. 

 The normal character of this pair of the tail-feathers in fully 

 adult male birds appears to be, white with from four to five 

 transverse black bars on the inner web, extending from the 

 shaft of the feather towards its inner edge, though seldom 

 actually reaching it ; but the number of these bars is very 

 variable, and the ground-colour of the feather is very often 

 (perhaps more often than not) more or less rufous, especially 

 on the inner web ; both webs are also liable to be tinged 

 with grey ; and abnormal markings of black, grey, or white 



* Mr. Ridgway describes a young male from Nebraska as having the 

 "blue of the wings with scarcely any spots ;" but I think that this must 

 be exceptional, as I have not met with any young male answering to this 

 description. 



t Male specimens from the most southern countries of Central America 

 appear to retain a larger proportion of dorsal crossbarring when fully 

 adult than those from more northern localities. 



\ A somewhat similar variation in the patter» of these feathers occurs 

 in T. cinnamominus, T. antillarum, and T. isabellinus. 



2p2 



