SPA 
bordered with a lightifli brown. Frorh the fides 
of the neck, acrofs the breaft, extends a bar of the 
fame brownilh colour as on it's upper fide; the 
fides of the head beneath the eyes and throat are 
white; as far as the collar, of dufky feathers; and 
tinder the collar, the belly, and thighs, are again 
of a yellowifh white colour ; the fides of the belly 
are marked with longifh fpots of a faint dufky co- 
lour; and the legs and feet are flelh-coloured. 
This bird is a native of the province of Bengal. 
Sparrow, Indian, White-Briasted ; the 
3Loxia Malacca of Linnaeus, The bill of this 
bird is of a blueifh adi- colour ; the eyes are dark ; 
the whole head and neck, thighs, middle of the 
belly, and covert -feathers beneath the tail, are of 
a deep black colour; the back, rump, tail, and 
wings on their upper fides, are of a dark cinnamon 
colour ; the lower part of the breaft, the fides un- 
der the wings, and the inner covert- feathers of the 
wings, are white; and the legs and feet are afii- 
coloured. 
This bird appears to be a variety of the Ghinefe 
Sparrow; and accordingly Linna;us confiders 
them as fynonvmous. 
Sparrow, Little. This bird, which is a na- 
tive of America, has a dufky brown or black bill; 
the top of the head, the upper fide of the neck, 
the back, rump, and upper fides of the wings and 
tail, are of a dark brown colour ; the edges of the 
quills, and the exterior feathers of the tail, are of 
a bright reddifh brown hue ; and the tail confifts 
of twelve feathers. Above the eye paflTes a whitifii 
line ; the under fide, from the throat to the under 
coverts of the tail inclufive, is covered with whit- 
ifh feathers, ihaded with light brown, and marked 
with oblong dufky fpots, tending downwards from 
the bill to the middle of the belly; and the legs 
and feet are of a brownifh alli-colour. 
SPARROW-HAWK; the Falco Nifus of 
Linnaeus. The difference of fize between the 
male and female Sparrow-Hawk is very difpro- 
portionate ; the former ufually weighing about 
five ounces, the latter nine. The length of the 
male is generally about twelve inches, and the 
expanfion of the wings twenty-three : the length 
of the female is fifteen inches, and the expanfion 
of the wings twenty-fix. 
Like other birds of the Plawk kind, thefe vary 
greatly in their colours: in fome, the back, head, 
coverts of the wings, and tail, are of a deep blue- 
ifh grey ; in others, of a deep brown, edged with 
a rufly red. The quill-feathers are dufky, barred 
with black on their exterior webs, and fpotted 
with white on the lower part of their interior webs. 
On the tail, which is of a deep afh-colour, there 
are fine broad black bars, and the tip is white. 
The breaft and belly are of a cream-colour, 
adorned with tranfverfe waved bars, of a deep 
brown in fome, and orange-colour in others ; and 
the fkin at the bafe of the bill, the iricles, and the 
legs, are yellow. 
The colours of the female are different from 
thofe of the male : the head is of a deep brovv'n ; 
the back and coverts of the wings are brownifh 
mixed with dove-colour; the tail is of a brighter 
dove-colour; the waved lines on the breaft are 
more numerous than thofe on the breaft of the 
male ; and the breaft contains a greater portion of 
white. 
This is the moft pernicious Hawk which inha- 
bits Britain, making great depredations among 
pigeons and partridges. It builds in high rocks, 
large ruinous buildings, and hollow trees; and 
S P H 
lays four eggs, of a white colour, encircled with 
red fpecks near the larger end. 
Willughby places the Sparrow-Hawk amono- 
the fhort-winged fpecies, or fuch whofe wings do^ 
not reach the end of the tail when clofed. 
The Sparrov/-Hawk was formerly held in great 
veneration among the ancient Egyptians, beeaufe 
it reprefented their god Ofiris ; and if any perfcn 
killed one of them, whether by accident or defign, 
death Vv'as the certain confequence of the fuppofect 
heinous ofJence. Among the Greeks, it was con- 
fecrated to Apollo; and iikewife ferved as a prog- 
nofticator. 
SPARUS. In the Linnsan fyftem, a genus 
of fi flies of the general order of thoracici; the 
characters of which are thefe : the opcrcula of the 
gills are fcaly; the mouth is furnlfhed with ftrong 
cutting-teeth; the grinders are obtufe, clofe fet, 
and covered with lips; the branchioftcge mem- 
brane confifts of five rays; the body is compref- 
fcd ; the lateral line is curved behind ; and the 
pc6toral fins are rounded. There are twenty-fix 
fpecies of this genus ; among which are the gilt- 
head, the pagrus, the melanuius, the fm.aris, and 
the cantharus. 
The term Sparus is of Greek derivation, from 
Spairein, to Palpitate or Tremble; and was ap- 
plied to this fiih from it's remarkable quality of 
trembling or palpitating all over the body as foon 
as taken out of the water. 
SPATAGOIDES. A name by which fome 
naturalifts exprefs a genus of the echini marini; 
the characters of which are: they have the aper- 
ture of the anus on one fide of the upper fuper- 
ficies; the back is remarkably fulcated, which 
makes them of a cordated form ; but there are 
no furrows on the vertex, only four or five fmooth 
rays, compofed of a number of flight tranfverfe 
ftrise. 
SPATANGI. A genus of echini marini, in- 
cluding all thofe which are cordiform, and have 
the aperture for the anus on one of the fides of the 
upper fuperficies. They have all a remarkable 
furrow on the back; their bafe is nearly flat; and 
they have feveral furrows on the vertex. By 
thefe characters they are diftinguifhed from the 
brifli, with which they have in common the rudi- 
ments of tvv^o lips to their mouths, and are defti- 
tute of teeth which belong to the other genera. 
SPAX. An appellation by which fome au- 
thors exprefs the common taenia; a fmall fifh of 
the anguiliiform kind, frequent on the fhores of 
Italy. 
SPECTRE. A name by which French con- 
chologifts exprefs a fpecies of voluta; on which 
are feveral reddifh broad bands, compofed of loofe 
and irregular figures, on a fine white ground. 
SPECULATION SHELL. An appella- 
tion fometimes given to the Guinea-fhell, a very 
beautiful fpecies of the voluta. 
SPERVERIUS. A name by which Bellonius, 
and fome other ornithologifts, have exprefled the 
fparrow-hawk; more commonly denominated ni- 
fus, and accipiter fringillarius. 
SPHEX. A genus of the hymenoptera order 
of inieCts in the Linnsan fyftem. It's diftin- 
guifbing characters are; that the mouth is fur- 
nifhed with mandibles without a tongue; that the 
antennae have ten joints; that the wings are piano- 
incumbent, and not. folded; and that the fting is 
concealed. Linna:us enumerates thirty-eight Ipe- 
cies. 
SPHINX. In the Linnsan fyftem of nature, 
a ^enus 
