98 FALCONID^E. 



Is found over the whole Palaearctic Region, and visits 

 India in winter. A rare straggler to Great Britain, and still 

 more seldom met with in Ireland. 



Astur atricapillus. AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 



Falco atricapillus, Wilson, Am. Orn. vi. p. 80 



(1812). 



Astur atricapillus, Newton, i. p. 87, note ; Harting, p. 87. 



Atricapillus = black-haired, from dter = black, and capillus = the hair of 

 the head. 



One was killed in Perthshire, 1869 (' Ibis/ 1870, p. 292), 

 another in Tipperary in 1870 (' Ibis/ 1870, p. 538), and a 

 third in the King's County in 1870 (Zool. 1871, p. 2524) . 

 An inhabitant of British North America and, in the winter, 

 of the Northern United States. 



Genus ACCIPITER, Brisson, Ornith. i. p. 310 (1760). 



Accipiter = a Hawk, in classical Latin ; from the same roots as wKyrrer^s = 

 swift-flying, the name of a Harpy in Hesiod, Th. 267. 



\vnJt*' -*> J-**^* 4 * J L*w~i ' f * /! ' 



Accipiter nisus. SPAKROW-HAWK. 



Falco Nisus, Linnaws, S. N. i. p. 130 (1766). 



Falco nisus, Naum. i. p. 258. 



Accipiter nisus, Macg. iii. p. 346; Hewitson, p. 35; Gray, 

 p. 16 ; Yarr. ed. 2, i. p. 67 ; id. ed. 3, i. p. 74 ; Newton, 

 i. p. 88; Gould, i. pi. 10; Harting, p. 4; Dresser, v. 

 p. 599. 



Sparrow-Hawk, Yarr. ed. 1, i. p. 62. 



Nisus, mythical king of Megara, who had his purple hair cut off by his 

 daughter Scylla in order that she might gain the love of Minos. He lost his 

 kingdom, and was turned into a Sparrow-Hawk (Virgil, Gcorg, i. 405 s^-; 

 Ciris, HOseqq.). 



Inhabits the whole Palsearctic Region, and visits India in 

 winter. A permanent resident throughout Great Britain and 

 Ireland. 





