1920.] South African Accipitres. 431 



27. Accipiter niiniillus (Daud.). Little Sparrow-hawk. 



I luive seen ver}^ little of this tiny Sparrow-hawk and have 

 only met with it in eastern Pondoland, hut even there on 

 very few occasions. It is, however, such a small hird, living 

 in very thick cover, that it may easily be overlooked. It is, 

 from all accounts, a decidedly fierce little creature, preying 

 on birds even larger than itself. One I shot was feeding on 

 a thrush. Although I have never seen it noted, there 

 api)ears to be a distinct ditierence in plumage between 

 males and females. The males have the bars on the under 

 surface broadei' and closer together, and sides of breast and 

 Hanks much more suffused with rufous, those parts in the 

 female being almost white, narrowly barred with brownish 

 black. 



28. Accipiter minullus tropicalis (Rchw.). 



I have m^t met with this race myself, but there are 

 specimens in the Transvaal Museum, labelled T. m. inter- 

 medius, which I would refer to it : and my friend ]\Iajor 

 Thompson, of the S.A.M.C.. showed me a specimen which 

 he had shot at Grootibntein in the South- West Protectorate, 

 which I would also refer to it. I was rather surprised 

 to see that Mr. Claude Grant, when writing of A. miiiullits 

 in 'The Ibis"" some years ago, considered that ileichenow^s 

 A. tropicalis was not a good subspecies. Judging by those 

 I have been able to examine, it appeared to me that there 

 was a vei'y distinct difference between the almost black 

 colouring of the upper parts of the southern race and the 

 grey colour of those parts in the northern race. In the 

 latter also the under parts seemed paler, with less bright 

 rtifous colouring on the flatdcs. 



29. Accipiter ovampensis (Gurney). Ovamboiand Spar- 



rcjw-hawk. 



I have not met with this species and have nothing to 

 record with regard to iiabits or plumage. I would note, 

 however, that the type hjcality should be written OvamZ/o- 

 land, not Ovam/K)land. 



