SPARROW-HAWK. 91 



greyish -white, barred transversely with brown ; under surface 

 of the wing- and tail-quills of the same colour, but the light 

 and dark bars much broader ; the first six primaries emar- 

 ginated ; the first the shortest, the fourth and fifth equal 

 and the longest ; the legs and toes yellow ; the claws black. 



The young male resembles the female ; but the brown 

 feathers of the upper parts are edged with reddish-brown ; 

 the tail reddish-brown, particularly towards the base, with 

 dark transverse bands as in the adult. 



Some females, supposed to be very old, greatly resemble 

 the adult males, and white varieties have been several times 

 met with. 



