LEVANT SPARROW-HAWK. 189 



absent in A. nisiis, wliilc in the under plumage the 

 large oblong longitudinal brown spots, and the russet 

 bars on the thighs and nndcr tail coverts at once 

 proclaim their distinctive characters. 



It is hardly necessary to say anything about the 

 distinction of this bird from M. badius, hrachydactylus, 

 sphenurus, or polijzonoides, as it is altogether larger ^ 

 and different; and I shall point out some of the 

 distinctions between these birds in the next notice when 

 treating of M. hadius. 



The claim of F. gurneyi to a place in the European 

 avi-fauna rests at present on a single immature speci- 

 men received by Mr. Gurney, from Athens, in the 

 neighbourhood of which it was killed; but its similarity 

 to A. nisus has no doubt been the reason of its having 

 hitherto been unobserved. 



My figures are the adult male and female, and the 

 young male and female kindly sent me by Mr. Gurney, 

 and drawn to a scale. 



The adult male has the upper plumage dark slaty 

 brown, with some white spots on the nape and upper 

 tail coverts. Primaries nearly black, and barred with 

 lighter black on the basal half beneath. Below the 

 general tint is rufous, lighter on the crop; the chin 

 and sides of the head are light slate-colour; the rest 

 of the body, thighs, and under wing coverts barred 

 with ferruginous and silvery grey; under tail coverts 

 white. Tail above dark slaty brown, below lighter; 

 the two central feathers, both above and below, being 

 unicolorous; the others silvery grey, broadly barred 

 through the feathers wdth black. Beak black; tarsi 

 and toes yellow; claws black. 



The female has the upper plumage lighter than that 

 of the male, and the upper tail feathers have traces 



VOL. IV'. 2 B 



