SPARRO W-HA WKS. 239 



light spaces; the tail being greyish brown, with from three to five dark bands. 

 The beak is blue, and the iris orange ; the legs and toes are yellow, and the claws 

 black. The total length is about 13 inches. The female is some 1\ inches longer 

 than the male, and differs by the general colour of the upper-parts (save the white 

 spot on the nape) being brown, with many of the feathers white at the base, and 

 the primaries and tail lighter than the rest ; the under-parts being greyish white 

 barred with brown. This species is distributed over the whole of Europe 

 and Northern Asia, and extends during the winter into the north of Africa, 

 India, and China. In certain parts of Germany, Switzerland, and France, some 

 individuals are found differing by their superior size and certain peculiarities 

 in coloration. The sparrow-hawk is a frequenter of wooded districts, where 

 it may always be distinguished from the kestrel when on the wing by its bold 

 dashing flight. Its prey includes the smaller mammals and birds, and while 

 young pheasants and partridges frequently fall victims to its swoop, the chickens 

 in a farmyard are by no means secure from its rapaciousness. It is during the 

 breeding-season that this hawk displays the greatest boldness and most frequently 

 ventures into the farmyard ; such visits being paid as much for the purpose of 

 capturing sparrows and other small birds as for preying on chickens. The 

 sparrow-hawk breeds from the extreme north of Europe as far south as the 

 Himalaya ; and although generally constructing a nest of its own, not unfrequently 

 takes possession of that of a crow or some other bird. The eggs are four or five 

 in number, and are remarkable for the beauty of their colouring, being generally 

 blotched with large patches of brownish crimson on a pale ground ; the dark 

 markings being often collected on certain parts of the shell, leaving the rest bare. 



In Europe the sparrow-hawk used to be extensively employed in hawking, 

 and was flown against blackbirds, thrushes, quail, landrails, partridges, etc. Quail- 

 hawking with this bird is still largely pursued in Hungary and the Danubian 

 provinces ; and it is stated that it was considered no uncommon feat for a sparrow- 

 hawk to kill from seventy to eighty quail in a day. In India both this species 

 and the smaller besra hawk {A. virgatus) — the latter distinguished by its uniformly 

 coloured thighs — are largely trained. On this subject Mr. R Thompson writes to 

 Mr. Hume that though the sparrow-hawk is prized by the natives for its speed 

 and pluck, " it does not really come up to the besra even for courage ; its powers 

 of endurance are much less, and it is less easily reclaimed. It is a delicate and 

 difficult bird to keep, and with all its boasted speed is but second to the besra for 

 every kind of hard field or wood work. What the besra would do at the first 

 throw, the other could not accomplish till the quarry was exhausted. To hunt 

 with the basha [the native name of the sparrow-hawk], requires a -deal of tact ; 

 you must not throw it while the wind is high ; you must keep well within the 

 proximity of woods and trees, and not baulk it with birds larger than it can afford 

 to strike and clutch." Both these kinds of hawks are commonly floM^n in India 

 at sand-grouse and the cream-coloured courser. In North America the sparrow- 

 hawk is represented by two nearly allied species known as the sharp-shinned 

 hawk (A. fuscus), and Cooper's hawk {A. cooperi), in both of which the rufous 

 bars on the under surface are wider than the intervening spaces. While the former 

 is somewhat smaller than the sparrow-hawk, the latter is as much larger. 



