205 



DWARF HAWK. 



Falco MinuUus. F. fuscuSi subtus albus, pectore striis descen," 



dentibus, abdomine fasciis transversisfascis. 

 Brown Hawk white beneath, the breast marked by descending 



brown streaks, the abdomen by transverse brown bars. 

 Falco Minuihis. F.fuscus, subtus albus, pectore striis abdomine 



fasciis fuscis. Lath. ind. orn. suppl. 

 Le Minule. Lexaill. ois, pi, 34. Dwarf Hawk. Lath, suppl. 2. 



Smaller than a Merlin: upper parts brown^ the 

 tail crossed by a few deeper bars : tinder parts 

 white, marked on the throat and breast by oblong 

 brown spots, and on the belly and thighs hj nar* 

 row transverse bars. This small Flawk is a native 

 of the interior of Africa, where it v/as observed by 

 Monsieur Levaillant, who describes it as of a highly 

 bold and spirited nature, preying on small birds> 

 and occasionally driving away from its haunts even 

 the larger birds of its own genus, as w^ell as Shrikes, 

 &c. It builds on trees, forming its nest of small 

 twigs, intermixed with moss and leaves externally, 

 and lining it with wool and feathers : the eggs are 

 five in number, spotted with brown near each end. 

 The female bird is nearly twice the size of the 

 male. Monsieur Levaillant relates a singular 

 instance of the audacity of this species. He was 

 sitting at a table, engaged in preparing some birds 

 lately killed ; when one of these Hawks suddenly 

 stooped, and seized one of the newly stuffed speci- 

 mens, and flying with it to a neighbouring tree, 

 began to plume and tear it open, but finding 



