618 



20 



state as follows : — " The Sparrow-Hawk is resident in Dauphine and other parts of France ; old 

 males rarely appear in the Departement du Nord : those seen in October, November, December, 

 and March, at the time of passage, are all young birds or females." In Provence, according to 

 MM. Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye, it is the commonest of the birds of prey, and is 

 resident, breeding in almost all the mountainous districts. In the autumn the numbers are 

 augmented by birds that arrive from the north in migration. Bailly also gives the Sparrow- 

 Hawk as one of the most numerous of the Raptores in Savoy, where, he says, it inhabits the fir 

 woods in the hills and mountains. Here, as well as in Switzerland, is found the large race, 

 above referred to as A. major. Lord Lilford says that it is common all over Spain, and he found 

 it breeding near San Ildefonso. Mr. Howard Saunders also records it as generally distributed, 

 breeding in the wooded hills, especially near Granada, whence he has obtained eggs. Major Irby 

 writes to us from Gibraltar : — " The Sparrow-Hawk is called ' Gavilan ' and ' Milano jaspeado ' 

 (Marbled Kite) ; but the first name is also applied to the Goshawk in Andalucia. It is resident, 

 but not very numerous, being more abundant in winter. I found a nest with two eggs on the 

 13th of May, 1870, and another, with five eggs, on the 10th of May, 1871, in the cork wood." 

 The Eev. A. C. Smith says that it is a common bird in Portugal. Major Irby likewise informs 

 us that it is resident in Marocco ; and Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake writes : — " I shot one at Tangier, 

 and a second at Tetuan: I saw a few others. It breeds on the mountains west of Tetuan." 

 Mr. Vernon Harcourt records it as a straggler in Madeira ; and Dr. Bolle says it is " resident in 

 the Canaries: abundant in the fruitful valleys of Northern Teneriffe: said to be numerous on 

 Gran Canaria." Mr. F. Godman has lent us a specimen procured by him at Orotava, in 

 Teneriffe. In Algeria, according to Loche, the Sparrow-Hawk is very common; but in some 

 localities it is probably not so plentiful ; for Taczanowski writes that it was " rarely to be met 

 with in the forests of the mountainous country. I saw a pair at Aures, about the middle of 

 March, busy restoring an old nest." 



Mr. C. A. Wright gives the following note respecting the Sparrow-Hawk in Malta : — 

 "Pretty common in spring and autumn, and seen occasionally throughout the summer and 

 winter. It is most frequently met with in October and November." Mr. A. Basil Brooke 

 writes to us : — " I found this bird scarce in Sardinia ; but they are said to be very common in 

 winter both by Salvadori and Cara." Salvadori states that " it is extremely common in Italy 

 in autumn at the time of the passage of the Finches &c, which it follows up on their journey. 

 In May the return and migration takes place ; but some remain throughout the winter. It nests 

 in Northern Italy, according to various authorities." Professor Doderlein observes that " it is 

 generally abundant throughout Sicily, and, to a certain degree, resident, as some pairs nest in 

 the wooded mountains. In autumn it follows up the flocks of small birds; some remain to 

 winter, whilst others continue their course to Africa." In his paper on the birds observed in the 

 Mediterranean, Captain Sperling gives the following note: — "At sea, between Malta and Corfu, 

 a hen Sparrow-Hawk dashed by me like an arrow, grasped a small bird in her claws, and after 

 soaring round the ship for some time, settled on the mast-head, where she deliberately demolished 

 her victim. She did not depart after her meal, but roosted on the ship that night, so that I was 

 enabled to catch her as she slept. When Hawks can obtain sustenance at sea in this manner, it 

 will account for their occasionally appearing within boundaries which are not natural to them." 



