62 
SLATE-COLORED HAWK. 
and back, brown, streaked and seamed with wliite, and some pale rust ; 
scapulars and wing-coverts spotted with wbite ; wing quills much resem- 
bling the preceding species ; tail-coverts white, handsomely barred with 
brown ; tail slightly rounded, of a pale broAvn color, varying in some to 
a sorrel, crossed by nine or ten bars of black, and tipped for half an inch 
with white ; wings brown, barred Avith dusky ; inner vanes nearly all 
white ; chin, throat and breast, pure white, with the exception of some 
slight touches of brown that enclose the chin ; femorals yellowish white, 
thinly marked with minute touches of rust ; legs bright yellow, feathered 
half way down ; belly broadly spotted with black or very deep brown ; 
the tips of the wings reach to the middle of the tail. 
My reason for inclining to consider this a distinct species from the 
last, is that of having uniformly found the present two or three inches 
larger than the former, though tliis may possibly be owing to their 
greater age.* 
Species IX. FALCO PENNSYLVANICUS. 
SLATE-COLORED HAWK.f 
[Plate XLVI. Fig. 1.] 
This elegant and spirited little Hawk is a native of Pennsylvania, 
and of the Atlantic states generally ; and is now for the first time intro- 
dticed to the notice of the public. It frequents the more settled parts 
of the country, chiefly in winter ; is at all times a scarce species ; flies 
wide, very irregular, and swiftly ; preys on lizards, mice and small birds, 
and is an active and daring little hunter. It is drawn of full size, from 
a very beautiful specimen shot in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. The 
bird within his grasp is the Tanagra ruhra, or Black-winged Red-bird, 
* Prince Musignano is of opinion that Wilson took his admeasurement of the 
horealis from m.ales, and that of the leverianns from females ; as he has always 
found the males in both states of plumage twenty inches (a size -vrhieh Wilson 
gives as that of the horealis), and the females of both, twenty-two inches (the size 
of the leveriamts as given by Wilson). 
f By comparing this bird with the Sharp-shinned Hawk, it will be obvious that 
Wilson had good reason for his first opinion, that they are identical ; although he 
subsequently came to a contrary conclusion. It is probable that they will be found 
to be the same, and that this is the adult, and the Sharp-shinned Hawk the young 
bird. If this be the case, the name velox, which was first given to this species by 
Wilson, must be retained ; unless indeed it should prove to be identical with the F. 
fuscvs of authors, as asserted by Prince Musignano ; in which event this latter 
name must of course, having the priority, be adopted. 
