2 I VSSELLS BOOK OF BIRDS. 



and strength, the toes small, and the claws remarkably short ami thick ; the beak is short, much 

 compressed at its sides, and terminates in a short hook; the lower mandible is shallow, and bifurcated 

 at its tip ; the region of the eye is bare, ana th~ body covered with long-pointed and strong-shafted 

 feathers. In size the Laughing I lawk resembles its European congeners; the plumage is pale yellow 

 from the top of the head to the nape, each feather having a black shaft; the bridles, nape, and 

 cheeks are b'r.ck, the mantle brown, the feathers being bordered with a lighter shade ; the entire 

 lower portion of the body and a stripe upon the neck are white, which changes into red upon the 

 breast and legs ; the upper part of the tail is black, its under portion whitish yellow, tipped with white 

 and ornamented with six or seven grey stripes ; the inner web of the brown quills which form the 

 wings is shaded from reddish yellow to white, and edged with a delicate irregular brown line ; the eye 

 is reddish yellow, the beak black, the cere and legs are' yellow. 



THE DOUBLE-TOOTHED HAWK. 



The Double-toothed Hawk (ffarpagus bidentatus) resembles the Falcons in its general form, 

 but is recognisable by its comparatively small head, long broad tail, and short wings. The beak is 

 very peculiar in its construction, the upper portion being excised immediately behind the hook at its 

 tip, and the lower mandible, which terminates abruptly, has near its extremity two sharp teeth at each 

 side ; the third quill of the wings is longer than the rest, the tarsi are short, and of the same length 

 as the toes. This bird, of which there are two species, is only found in South America. 



The Guaviao, as the Double-toothed Hawk is called by the Brazilians, is thirteen and a half 

 inches long and twenty-six inches broad ; the wing measures eight inches, and the tail six inches. 

 The plumage upon the upper part of the body is blackish grey, embellished with a metallic lustre ; the 

 under portions are reddish brown, with narrow white stripes upon the throat ; the rump is also white, 

 the quills of the wings are brown, ornamented with an irregular border, which is pure white upon the 

 inner web ; the tail is black above, brown beneath, and marked with three broad and crooked 

 lines ; the eye is light carmine, the cere greenish yellow, the beak blackish grey, and the feet of a 

 beautiful reddish yellow. The plumage of the young is brown above and white beneath, delicately 

 marked with undulating brown lines of various shades. 



THE SPARROW HAWK. 



The Sparrow Hawk (Nisus communis) is the European representative of a very numerous group 

 distributed throughout the world. These birds (see Coloured Plate IX.) are distinguished by their 

 elongated body, small head, and delicate beak, furnished with a very sharp hook at the extremity 

 of the upper mandible ; the wings are short, tail long, and short at its tip ; the tarsi are high and 

 weak, the toes long and slender, and armed with extremely sharp claws. The plumage varies but 

 little in its colour. This species is about one foot long, and two broad ; the wing measures seven 

 inches and two-thirds, and the tail six inches ; the female is about three inches longer and five inches 

 broader than her mate. In the full-grown bird the entire upper portion of the body is blackish grey, 

 the under parts are white, marked with undulating reddish brown lines ; the shafts of the feathers are 

 also of the latter hue, and brighter in colour in the male than in the female ; the tail is tipped with 

 white, and has five or six black stripes. In the young birds the upper portion of the body is a greyish 

 biown, beneath the throat white, striped with brown ; the belly and legs are ornamented with irregular 

 spots, the beak is blue, the cere yellow, the iris golden yellow, and the feet pale yellow. 



The Sparrow Hawk inhabits the whole of Europe and Central Asia ; it is stationary in some 



