FALCONID^. 



31 



on the abdomen : the under parts of the female have 

 those bands broader and disposed in blotches ; and 

 her throat and fore part of her neck are tinged with 

 bright reddish : the beak and claws are black ; the 

 cere and legs yellow. The young are brown, varied 

 and spotted with red : the nuchal collar is indicated 

 by spots of brown and whitish ; the throat is longi- 

 tudinally striped, and the other parts transversely, 

 with brown. 



Sp. 3. Ac. velox. — Sharp-shinned Hawk. Lath. Hist. i. 279. 

 Ac. fusco'ferrugineusj subtus albidus Jusco lineatis, rectricibus 



. cinereis Jasciis quatuor nigris. 

 Rusty-brown Sparrowhawk beneath whitish dashed with brown, 



with the tail-feathers ash, with four black bands. 

 Falco velox. Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. pi. 45./. 1. 



Inhabits North America. Length of the male 

 ten inches : the beak dusky : cere and irides yel- 

 low : head dusky, streaked with rust-colour : back 

 and wing-coverts brown, edged with rust : primaries 

 dusky-ash, barred with black; and within with oval, 

 transverse, ferruginous spots : breast and belly dirty 

 white, with oblong brown streaks : tail long, deep 

 ash, crossed with four bars of black : legs long and 

 slender ; claws black. The female is said to be thir- 

 teen inches in length, with the colours less bright, 

 but not essentially different, except that the vent and 

 under tail -coverts and the tips of the tail-feathers are 

 white. 



According to Wilson this species is remarkable for 

 the sharpness of the insides of the shins below the 

 knee : it feeds on small birds and lizards. 



