58 LEVANT SPARROW-HAWK. 
under ones are barred through. Primaries, nearly black, barred on 
their inner webs with white the whole length of the feather. Chin 
and sides of the head grey, with light brown bars and spots. The 
rest of the body, under wing coverts, and thighs barred with hair 
brown and silvery grey; under tail coverts white, slightly barred with 
brown. Beak black; tarsi and toes yellow. 
Young birds of the year have the head prettily striped longitudinally 
with rich brown of two shades, and white. The upper plumage rich 
dark brown; the edges of the primaries, wing and upper tail coverts, 
bordered with fawn-colour. The chin is white with a few longitudinal 
dark streaks; the crop and chest broadly marked with brown and white 
longitudinal spots, which assume a crescentic shape and lighter colour 
on the abdomen, thighs, and under tail coverts; under wing coverts 
above fawn-colour, below cream-colour, barred with grey and brown 
on all the feathers, less distinct on the two above and below; beak 
horn-colour; tarsi and feet yellow. 
The Calcutta Sparrow-Hawk has been introduced into the European 
fauna by Professor Blasius, not as an accidental visitor, but as a constant 
inhabitant, (" Verzeichniss der Vogel Europa's.") NjDt being able to 
find any record of its occurrence in Europe, and Mr. Gurney, with 
his great knowledge of this class of birds, being unable to refer me 
to any instance — except in one doubtful case — of its capture on the 
continent, I wrote to Professor Blasius, and asked him to refer me to 
his authorities. Not having received any answer to my letter — which 
I am far from attributing to an act of discourtesy on the part of one 
naturalist towards another — I had no alternative but to decide for 
myself whether I would admit this bird into my book or not. I have 
not done so for the following reasons: — 
There are two Sparrow-Hawks very closely allied to each other, 
as well as with the bird last described, namely: — 
Micronisus badins, Gmelin, only according to Mr. Gurney found 
in India, and 31. sphenurus, Ruppell, which is the 31. bracJiydactylus, 
Swainson, which occurs in Africa. It is quite clear that these birds 
have got mixed together, and that 31. sphenurus or 31. brevipes have 
been mistaken for the true Indian 31. badius. 
Dr. Kriiper who has taken the eggs of 31. brevipes in Greece, 
marks them 31. badius, and this leads to the inference that Blasius 
meant the former when he introduced the latter into the European 
lists. By figuring 3Iicronisus badius, Gmelin, I must not therefore 
be considered as giving it a place in European lists any more than 
