ACCiPlTER FUXCUS. 303 



ACCIPITER FUSCUS. 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



Falcofuscus GM., Syst. Nat., I; 1788, 280. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, slender. Size, not large. Sternum, not very stout, rather narrow, with the marginal indentations 

 quite large. Tongue, lontr. n:irni\v, unite tleshy, rounded iit tlie tip imd somewhat bifid. Tarsus and toes, long and slen- 

 der, with the middle toe considerably exceeding in length the outer toe and claw. Coei-a, present but very small. 



( '. MIR. Adult male. Above, including secondaries and upper wing coverts, slaty-blue, darkest on the head, with ter- 

 tiaries sjxitted on both webs, secondaries barred on inner webs, and ba<e nf feathers on occiput, white. Primaries, dark- 

 hrown handed on inner webs with ashy-brown and white. Tail, a*hy-brown, tipped with white and barred with dark- 

 brown. Pieneath, including under wing coverts, tibia, and under tail coverts, white, the former, spotted witli dark-brown 

 and the latter, immaculate, but all the remaining feathers below have a narrow, central line of dark-brown and are trans- 

 versely banded, excepting on throat, with reddish-brown. Sides of head, yellowish-rufous, streaked with dusky. 



Adult female. Quite similar to the male in general coloration but lighterabove, where the feathers show central lines 

 of darker, and the tints below are much lighter. 



Yowiy. Browner above than in the adult and there are some traces of rufous on the head. Longitudinally and broad- 

 ly streaked below with pale reddish-brown. 



Youny of the year. Brown above, with every feather edged with reddish. The markings below are also narrower and 

 darker. There is a whitish line over the eye. Otherwise similar to the above. 



Ncstlinys. Are at first covered with a yellowish down, then gradually assume the plumage last described which they 

 keep for a year. Bill, dark-brown, bluish at base, cere, greenish, feet, yellow, iris, reddish, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Specimens of the same age are quite uniform in pattern of coloration but vary a little in intensity of tintings; thus the 

 white i,f the throat is occasionally overwashed with reddish and the under tail coverts are tinged with it. Known from the 

 v allied Cooperi by the small size, more slender t.vrsus an 1 comparatively long middle toe which considerably exceeds 

 in length the hind toe and claw, and from all others by the long tail, short wings, and colors as described. Distributed as 

 a summer resident, throughout North America. Winters in the portions south of latitude 42. 



DIMENSIONS. 



.\xera ire measurements of male specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 11-35; stretch, 21-25; wing, fr75; 

 tail, 5-40; bill, "40; tarsus, 1'70. Longest specimen, 11-75; greatest extent of wing, 21-75, longest wing, 7'00; tail, 5'W); 

 bill. !.">: tarsu*, 1'DO. Shortest specimen, lO'OO; smallest extent of wing, 20'00; shortest wing, 6'50; tail, 5-30; bill, '35; 

 tarsus, 1-80. 



n_'e measurements of female specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 13-00; stretch, 24'50; wing, 7'50; 

 tail, (i 10; l,ill, -\:>. ttr-u-, -MO. L >:i : nea, 13-53; greatest estaat of wing, 25-00: longest wing, 7-H5; tail ,6'25; 



bill, '5(1; tarsus, -J-^5. Shortest specimen, 12- JO; smallest extent of wing, 24-00, shortest wing, 7'25; tail, O'OO; bill, '40; 

 tarsus, 2-00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



X'.*t.i, placed in trees. They are not very bulky structures, composed of sticks, lined with strips of bark, leaves, \v 

 and IT 



Eyys, three or four in number, rather spherical in form, bluish-white in color, coarsely spotted and blotched with 

 brown and umber of varying shades. Dimensions from l'17x 1'45 to I'-JOx TOO. 



HABITS. 



The little Sharp-shinned Iliiwks are easily recognized when on the wing, by the pecu- 

 liar flight which differs somewhat from other birds of this order already described, for they 

 fly with a quick, flapping motion of the wings, alternated with short intervals, when they 

 move with extended pinions. In spite of this singular mode of progression, they manage 

 to travel very rapidly and will dart through a thicket or around it with almost the speed 

 of thought, causing a great panic among the little birds for they are well aware of the fact, 



