SPARROW-HAWK. 69 
about one inch seven lines long, by one inch four lines 
broad, of a pale bluish white, blotched and spotted with 
dark red brown. The young are covered with a delicate 
and pure white down, and are abundantly supplied with 
food. Mr. Selby mentions having found a nest of five 
young Sparrow-Hawks which contained besides, a Lap- 
wing, two Blackbirds, one Thrush, and two Green Linnets, 
recently killed, and partly divested of their feathers. 
The Sparrow-Hawk is common in most of the counties 
of England, and has been observed in the west and north 
of Ireland; it occurs also in Seotland and its northern 
islands. It inhabits Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, 
and from thence southward, over the Huropean continent 
to Spain and Italy. It is found in Sicily, Malta, Algeria, 
and Egypt. Mr. Strickland observed it at Smyrna; and 
the Zoological Society has received specimens from Er- 
zeroom. It is found in Thibet, Cashmere, North Western 
India, and Bengal; and Mr. Temminck has recorded it 
as occurring as far to the eastward as Japan. 
The adult male measures about twelve inches in length ; 
the beak blue, lightest at the base; the cere greenish 
yellow, the irides yellow; the top of the head, nape of 
the neck, back, wings, and wing-coverts, rich dark brown, 
—in very old males with a tinge of bluish grey; feathers 
of the tail greyish brown, with three conspicuous trans- 
verse bands of dark brown; the chin, cheeks, throat, 
breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, rufous, with 
numerous transverse bars of darker rufous brown; legs 
and toes long, slender, and yellow; the claws curved, 
sharp, and black. 
The female is generally three inches longer than the 
male; the beak, bluish horn colour; cere yellowish, the 
irides yellow ; the top of the head, upper part of the neck, 
