FALCONID& 29 



36. Melierax niger (Vieill.). African Black Hawk. 



Sparvius niger , Vieillot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 22. 



Accipiter niger, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Daniar., Contr. to Orn. 



1852, p. 142. 



Melierax niffer, Layard's Cat. No. 45. 

 Nisus niger, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost- Africa's, p. 88. 



This rather scarce Hawk is usually met with either 

 singly or in pairs. I do not recollect having seen it in 

 Great Namaqua Land ; but it is found to the north as 

 far as the Okavango and eastward to the lake, though 

 nowhere numerous. It is not particularly shy ; its food 

 consists of small birds, mice, &c. 



The irides are cherry-colour; the base of the bill 

 yellowish red, the tips of the mandibles black ; the legs 

 and toes vermilion, with the scutellated parts yellowish. 



Measurements of a male and a female : 



37. Accipiter tachiro (Baud.). Tachiro Sparrow-Hawk. 



Falco tachiro, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 377 & 420. 



Accipiter tachiro, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 



p. 2. 



Accipiter polyzonoides, Andersson in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 4. 

 Accipiter tachiro, Layard's Cat. No. 40. 

 Nisus tachiro, Finsch & Hartlaub, Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 78. 



I only obtained two or three specimens of this Hawk, 

 which is very rare in Damara Land. 



