605 



under wing- coverts whitish, with little hrown triangular markings ; axillary plumes white, with greyish- 

 brown cross bars, the terminal ones slightly tinged with rufous. 



We now proceed to give a few remarks on the series of Sparrow-Hawks now before us, according to 

 their localities. 



Europe. 



Norway. We have an adult male from this country, sent to us by our friend Mr. Robert Collett, the 

 only male specimen, we regret to say, that we have examined from Northern Europe ; and we have given a full 

 description of it above as being doubtless the same as the Swedish bird, the true A. nisus of Linnteus. The 

 bands on the long primaries are seven in number, and on the tail-feathers four. The general colour of this 

 specimen is rather pale, the transverse bars on the under surface being light tawny and rather broad. In 

 counting the number of bands on the quills the apical brown tip is never taken into consideration, as it is 

 always present ; the bars which can be seen on the quill itself alone are reckoned. The axillary plumes are 

 white, barred with tawny, most of the bars of the latter colour having a greyish line bordering them. 



Germany. We take this country next in order, as likely to possess the exactly typical bird of Sweden. 

 Mr. Colletfs Norwegian specimen having arrived too late for figuring, we were obliged to do the best we could, 

 to take an example from some country near to Sweden ; and we therefore figured an adult male shot near 

 Stettin by Dresser in 1860. On comparing it with the Norwegian bird described, there is really no striking 

 difference. The German example is a little older, and is rather darker slaty-grey, and more rufous under- 

 neath, especially about the sides of the face and upper breast; the greyish-brown lines across the breast- 

 feathers are a little plainer. The bands on the long primaries are six in number ; and there are five on the 

 tail-feathers, so that it has one more than the bird from Norway : the number of tail-bands we count on the 

 second feather ; that is, the one next to the centre rectrix. The axillary plumes are more narrowly barred, and 

 have less rufous, than in the foregoing specimen. Total length ( $ ) 11*8 inches, culmen 065, wing 8'0, tail 6'2, 

 tarsus 2'8, middle toe without claw 1-3. 



Russia. Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., has lent us a young male out of his collection, procured by him at 

 St. Petersburg on the 6th of September, 1869. It agrees best with Lord Walden's specimen (mentioned in the 

 descriptions) from the neighbourhood of London (November) ; but it is more rufous, and has the markings a little 

 more pronounced, especially on the axillary plumes ; the eyebrow is whiter and broader, and the cheeks more 

 decidedly rufous. Bars on the primaries six, on tail five. Total length ( d) 12"2 inches, culmen 6'5, wing 7'5, 

 tail 6'0, tarsus 2'2, middle toe without claw 13. 



Denmark. Mr. Alfred Benzon has sent us two specimens, both immature females. The first one we 

 received was shot on the 16th of September, 1870, and is certainly a bird of the year. It differs from our 

 English specimen, killed in September, in the same degree that the British males differ from those of the 

 Continent. It is altogether whiter underneath, and has the drops of brown colour on the chest much clearer ; 

 the whitish eyebrow, cheeks and throat, the latter with a few brown median shaft-stripes, are conspicuous 

 differences, easily observable on comparing birds of the same age from the two countries. The bars on the 

 axillary plumes are broader ; and these feathers have not the same rufous tint as those of the English bird. Bars 

 on primaries six, on tail five. Total length 14"8 inches, culmen 0"8, wing 9*4, tail 7'5, tarsus 2 - 5. The other 

 specimen given us by Mr. Benzon was shot on the 13th of September, 1870, and is a very puzzling bird to 

 understand. Looking at the upper surface of the body, she would appear to be quite young ; for all the feathers 

 are very conspicuously edged with tawny, and the white bases to the feathers show very plainly on the wing- 

 coverts, scapulars, and secondary quills ; on the hinder neck a pale tawny shade prevails, all the feathers being 

 irregularly marked with brown patches of colour, producing a curious mottled appearance. Thus far the bird 

 would seem to be a bird of the year ; but on examining the under surface of the body the marks are such as appear 

 on a much older female than we should have judged this bird to be ; for the barring is very narrow, and scarcely 

 a trace of the central heart-shaped spot on the chest-feathers is to be seen ; the throat is thickly streaked with 



4G 



