51 LEVANT SPARROW-HAWK. 
RAPACES — DlURN^E. 
FAGONIBJE. 
Genus Falco. (Linnceus.) 
Sub-genus Micronisus. (Gray.) 
Sub-generic Characters. — Beak short, compressed; festoon on margin of 
upper mandible not very prominent. Tarsus shorter than in Accipiter, stout, 
with prominent scuta in front, and the reticulated scales on the sides distinct; 
inner toe about equal to first joint of the middle and whole length of the 
hind toe. 
LEVANT SPARROW-HAWK. 
Micronisus hrexip es . 
Micronisus brevipes, Severzow; Bull. S. Imp. Moscow, 1850, 
pi. 1, 2. 
Falco Gumeyi, Bree; 1st. Edition Birds of Europe. 
" sphenurus, (part) Gurney. 
Specific Characters. — Plumage above in the male dark grey, approaching to 
black; below greyish white, thickly barred transversely with rusty red. The 
female lighter above, and the cross bands reddish brown, and more widely 
separated from each other. Length of male fourteen inches and a half; 
from carpus to tip eight inches and a half; tarsus one inch and four fifths; 
tail seven inches; middle toe one inch and two fifths; beak from forehead 
along curve to tip ten lines. Female, length fourteen inches and a half; 
carpus to tip nine inches and a half; tarsus two inches; tail seven inches; 
beak eleven lines. 
Mr. J. H. Gurney, with his usual kindness and liberality, sent me 
skins marked Micronisus sphenurus, Hup., as he suspected that this 
bird might have been mistaken for M. badius, Gm., and so have led 
to the introduction of the latter into the European lists. Upon com- 
