THE SPARROWHAWK. 



THIS bird is somewhat larger than a com- 

 mon pigeon, the male being about twelve inches 

 in length, and the female fifteen. It has a 

 short hooked blue bill, slender reddish legs, 

 and rather a long tail. The colour of the 

 eye is a bright orange. The plumage on 

 the wings and upper parts of the body is 

 brown, spotted with a yellowish dun ; the lower 

 parts in some are whitish, in others of a russet 

 colour. 



The head is flat at the top, and above each 

 eye is a strong and bony projection; a few 

 scattered spots of white form a faint line run- 

 ning backward towards the neck : the top of 

 the head and all the upper parts of the body 

 are of a dusky brow r n colour ; on the back part 

 of the head there is a faint line of white ; 

 the greater quill feathers and the tail are 

 dusky, with four bars of a darker hue on 



(53) 



