144 Mr. J, H. Gurney's Notes on 



40. AcciPiTER TACHiRO (Daud.) Tacliiro Sparrow-Hawk. 

 I have received numerous specimens of this Hawk from Natal, 



in all stages of plumage, and have also seen it from the Zambesi. 

 Mr. Ayres states that it attacks small birds ; but he took the 

 remains of a frog from the stomach of one specimen (Ibis, 1859, 

 p. 241), and some crickets from that of another (Ibis, 1860, 

 p. 204). A third specimen was shot by him whilst pursuing on 

 foot, amongst some rough grass, some chickens which had taken 

 refuge in that cover (Ibis, 1862, p. 155). An adult female in 

 the Norwich Museum from the Zambesi is much paler in the 

 coloration both of its upper and under parts than is the case 

 with the adult females I have received from Natal. These it also 

 slightly exceeds in the length of the tail, tarsus, and wing from 

 the carpal joint to the end of the primaries. 



41. AcciPiTER POLYZONoiDES (A. Smith). Many-banded 

 Sparrow-Hawk. 



This species is frequent in collections from Damara Land ; 

 and I have also seen it from the Zambesi, but not from Natal. 

 It is apparently the southern representative of A. brachydactylus 

 (Swains.), which latter is probably identical with A. sphenurus 

 (Rupp.) . 



42. AcciPiTER MiNULLUs (Daud.). Least African Sparrow- 

 Hawk. 



Mr. Layard^s description of this species has been taken from 

 an immature specimen, the plumage of the adults of both sexes 

 being almost exactly the same as that of the adults of A. tachiro, 

 with the addition of conspicuous white spots on the inner webs 

 of the rectrices. The Norwich Museum contains specimens 

 from Natal both in immature and adult plumage, and also an 

 adult female from the Zambesi. In coloration this last differs 

 from Natal examples of the same age and sex in the same 

 manner as does the Zambesian specimen of A. tachiro which I 

 have above mentioned. This variation of colour is perhaps that 

 referred to by Dr. von Heuglin in his remarks on A. mi- 

 nullus (Ibis, 1861, p. 75). In the case of this species, how- 

 ever, there is no corresponding difference of dimensions. 



