244 REMINISCENCES OP A SPORTSMAN. 



from that of the mature state. During the first year 

 the whole of the under portion of the body is of a 

 rusty salmon colour, marked with lanceolated streaks of 

 blackish-brown ; while the upper part is liver-brown, 

 each feather being margined with reddish-white. At 

 first the eyes are grey ; this colour gradually changes 

 with age to lemon-yellow, and eventually becomes 

 orange. The cere is wax-yellow, with the tarsi and 

 feet of a deeper tone. At the first change the whole of 

 the under plumage becomes light grey, striped trans- 

 versely with narrow bars of a dark brown colour ; 

 the top of the head, back, wings, and tail becoming a 

 uniform hair brown, with fine distinct bars of a darker 

 colour on the latter. There is also a streak of light 

 grey over each eye ; speckled, as are the cheeks, with 

 minute brown splashes. The bars on the breast of the 

 adult birds differ considerably in width in different 

 individuals. The under tail coverts are pure white. 



The Spareow-Hawk. 



Montague describes the male as being five ounces in 

 weight, and the female nine, so great is the disparity 

 between the sexes in this species. In lengih the former 

 is twelve inches, the latter fifteen ; bill bluish, cere 

 yellow, irides orange yellow, and furnished with bristles 

 at the base, the orbit offering an unusual protecting 

 projection. The plumage of both sexes is somewhat 

 variable, being sometimes of a deep bluish -grey, and 

 at others inclines to a brown tinge edged with ferru- 

 ginous markings. The breast of the male is of a rust 

 colour, that of the female approaches to white. On 

 the back of the head both male and female present a 



