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Genus ACCIP1TER. 



Accipiter, Brisson, Orn. i. p. 310 (1760). 



Falco apud Linnseus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 130 (1766). 



Nisus apud Cuvier, Lee. Anat. Comp. i. tabl. 2 (1800). 



Dcedalion apud Savigny, Syst. Ois. de l'Egypte, &c, p. 34 (1810). 



Ieraw apud Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. & B. Brit. Mus. p. 10 (1816). 



Sparvius apud Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. x. p. 319 (1817). 



Suteo apud Fleming, Hist. Brit. B. p. 55 (1828). 



Astur apud Keyserling & Blasius, Wirbelth. Eur. p. xxxi (1840). 



Micronisus apud Newton, Ibis, 1865, p. 342. 



This genus is very generally distributed throughout the globe, excepting, according to Mr. Sharpe, 

 in Oceania, the west of Australia, and New Guinea. In the Western Palsearctic Region only 

 two species occur, one of which [Accipiter brevipes) Mr. Sharpe excludes from the present genus 

 and places in the genus Astur. 



In habits the Sparrow-Hawks resemble the Goshawks, but are slighter and more slender 

 in form, and, if any thing, more active than those. They frequent both woodlands and the open 

 country where there are bushes scattered about, and will often visit farm-yards and gardens. 

 They are daring and fierce to a degree, and will strike birds as large as, or even larger than 

 themselves ; but they usually prey on small birds, such as Larks, Sparrows, Thrushes, &c. ; and 

 they are very destructive to game, for they will seize Partridges and young Pheasants. 



They breed in trees, either building their own nests of sticks, and lining them with moss, 

 &c, or else they take possession of the deserted nest of a Crow or some other large bird. Their 

 eggs, varying from four to six or even seven in number, are bluish white very richly blotched 

 with red or reddish brown. 



Accipiter nisus, the type of the genus, has the bill short, decurved from the base, the 

 cutting-margin of the upper mandible festooned ; nostrils oval ; wings short, reaching a little 

 beyond the middle of the tail, the first quill shorter than the secondaries, the second shorter 

 than the sixth, the fifth longest ; tail long, even ; legs long, slender, the tarsus non-scutellate ; 

 toes long and slender, the middle toe much longer than the others, and the inner toe shorter 

 than the outer one ; claws long, curved, acute, that on the inner toe much larger than the claw 

 of the outer toe, hind claw strong. 



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